David vs Samuel
David and Samuelcompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2018, David was ranked #97 and Samuel #30 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, David was ranked #45 and Samuel #76 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2020, David was ranked #84 and Samuel #50 among boys in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, David was ranked #64 and Samuel #60 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, David was ranked #104 and Samuel #64 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, David was ranked #71 and Samuel #69 among boys in Scotland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, David was ranked #88 and Samuel #75 among boys in Norway.
David and Samuel over time
David and Samuel appear together in 6 published lists, across 287 years of shared records. Samuel held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, David in 2.
The order between them changed and held in 4 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
David reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 6 of those lists, and Samuel in none. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1991, Samuel moved ahead of David in New South Wales, Australia · Boys — #12 and #15 the year before became #14 and #13.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, David and Samuel averaged 31.0 places apart, ending at #64 and #60.
- Longest-running competitions
David and Samuel were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 44 years, from 1972 to 2018, ending at #97 and #30.
List by list
Norway · Boys73 shared years, 1946–2025
David held the stronger position in 64 of those years, Samuel in 9.
Highest recorded here: David #31 in 2005, Samuel #44 in 2019.
The order changed in 2019: Samuel moved ahead. In 2018 they stood at #55 and #57; by 2019 that had become #67 and #44.
Most recent shared year, 2025: David #88, Samuel #75.
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
David held the stronger position in 62 of those years, Samuel in 0.
Highest recorded here: David #1 in 1985, Samuel #33 in 2013.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: David #45, Samuel #76.
New Zealand · Boys51 shared years, 1967–2020
David held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Samuel in 34.
Highest recorded here: David #1 in 1967, Samuel #3 in 1998.
The order changed in 1987: Samuel moved ahead. In 1986 they stood at #6 and #7; by 1987 that had become #9 and #7.
Most recent shared year, 2020: David #84, Samuel #50.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys44 shared years, 1972–2018
David held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Samuel in 26.
Highest recorded here: David #2 in 1972, Samuel #10 in 2003.
The order changed in 1991: Samuel moved ahead. In 1990 they stood at #12 and #15; by 1991 that had become #14 and #13.
Most recent shared year, 2018: David #97, Samuel #30.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
David held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Samuel in 29.
Highest recorded here: David #32 in 1996, Samuel #6 in 2004.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: David #64, Samuel #60.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
David held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Samuel in 17.
Highest recorded here: David #9 in 1997, Samuel #25 in 2005.
The order changed in 2007: Samuel moved ahead. In 2006 they stood at #28 and #36; by 2007 that had become #29 and #26.
Most recent shared year, 2024: David #104, Samuel #64.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | David | Samuel |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Commonly interpreted as 'beloved', with a possible secondary sense of 'uncle' for the root. | Traditionally rendered as 'name of God', though also popularly interpreted as 'God has heard' — sources differ on which root is emphasised. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Biblical Hebrew, via Greek Samouel |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdeɪvɪd/ | /ˈsæmjuːəl/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #45 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #38 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- David is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin, while Samuel is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew, via Greek Samouel origin.
- David and Samuel both have 2 syllables.
- David's recorded meaning differs from Samuel's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
How each name got here
David
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #167 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–2018
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1961 (recorded 1952–2018).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #88 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Samuel
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #339 among boys in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1967–2023
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in New Zealand, in 1998 (recorded 1967–2023).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #38 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys