Eoin vs Samuel
Eoin 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.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Eoin was ranked #945 and Samuel #60 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Eoin was ranked #71 and Samuel #64 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Eoin was ranked #404 and Samuel #69 among boys in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Eoin was ranked #106 and Samuel #76 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Eoin and Samuel over time
Eoin and Samuel appear together in 3 published lists, across 119 years of shared records. Eoin held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Samuel in 1.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Eoin reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 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 2024, Samuel moved ahead of Eoin in Republic of Ireland · Boys — #75 and #90 the year before became #105 and #70.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Eoin and Samuel changed places 6 times in Northern Ireland · Boys between 1997 and 2024, ending at #71 and #64.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 28 shared years in Northern Ireland · Boys, Eoin and Samuel averaged 9.6 places apart, ending at #71 and #64.
- Longest-running competitions
Eoin and Samuel were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 62 years, from 1964 to 2025, ending at #106 and #76.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Eoin #23 in 2004, Samuel #25 in 2005.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
Eoin held the stronger position in 50 of those years, Samuel in 12.
Highest recorded here: Eoin #14 in 2004, Samuel #33 in 2013.
The order changed in 2024: Samuel moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #75 and #90; by 2024 that had become #105 and #70.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Eoin #106, Samuel #76.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Eoin held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Samuel in 29.
Highest recorded here: Eoin #398 in 1998, Samuel #6 in 2004.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Eoin #945, Samuel #60.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Eoin held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Samuel in 9.
Highest recorded here: Eoin #23 in 2004, Samuel #25 in 2005.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Eoin #71, 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 | Eoin | Samuel |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Commonly interpreted as the Irish form of John, ultimately tracing to Hebrew elements for 'Yahweh' and 'to be gracious/show favour'. | Traditionally rendered as 'name of God', though also popularly interpreted as 'God has heard' — sources differ on which root is emphasised. |
| Origin | Irish | Biblical Hebrew, via Greek Samouel |
| Pronunciation | /ˈoːnʲ/ | /ˈsæmjuːəl/ |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #106 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #38 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Eoin is recorded with a Irish origin, while Samuel is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew, via Greek Samouel origin.
- Eoin has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Samuel.
- Eoin's recorded meaning differs from Samuel's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Eoin
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #83 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #14 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2004 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #106 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · 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