Ethan vs Samuel
Ethan 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 Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Ethan was ranked #24 and Samuel #50 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Ethan was ranked #49 and Samuel #38 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Ethan was ranked #48 and Samuel #60 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Ethan was ranked #51 and Samuel #76 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Ethan was ranked #54 and Samuel #69 among boys in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Ethan was ranked #57 and Samuel #64 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Ethan was ranked #315 and Samuel #75 among boys in Norway.
Ethan and Samuel over time
Ethan and Samuel appear together in 5 published lists, across 163 years of shared records. Ethan held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Samuel 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.
Samuel reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, Ethan in 1. 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 took the other's place near the top
In Republic of Ireland · Boys, Ethan moved into the top 50 at #35 in 2017 as Samuel fell out of it to #52, having been #38 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2010, Ethan moved ahead of Samuel in England and Wales · Boys — #13 and #12 the year before became #13 and #14.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Ethan and Samuel changed places 5 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 1989 and 2025, ending at #51 and #76.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Ethan and Samuel averaged 14.5 places apart, ending at #48 and #60.
- Longest-running competitions
Ethan and Samuel were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 35 years, from 1991 to 2025, ending at #49 and #38.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Ethan #30 in 2012, Samuel #33 in 2013.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys37 shared years, 1989–2025
Ethan held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Samuel in 23.
Highest recorded here: Ethan #30 in 2012, Samuel #33 in 2013.
The order changed in 2017: Ethan moved ahead. In 2016 they stood at #41 and #38; by 2017 that had become #35 and #52.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ethan #51, Samuel #76.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys35 shared years, 1991–2025
Ethan held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Samuel in 12.
Highest recorded here: Ethan #4 in 2011, Samuel #10 in 2003.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ethan #49, Samuel #38.
New Zealand · Boys34 shared years, 1990–2023
Ethan held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Samuel in 25.
Highest recorded here: Ethan #5 in 2002, Samuel #3 in 1998.
The order changed in 2016: Ethan moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #19 and #16; by 2016 that had become #17 and #19.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Ethan #24, Samuel #50.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Ethan held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Samuel in 14.
Highest recorded here: Ethan #11 in 2011, Samuel #6 in 2004.
The order changed in 2010: Ethan moved ahead. In 2009 they stood at #13 and #12; by 2010 that had become #13 and #14.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ethan #48, Samuel #60.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Ethan held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Samuel in 2.
Highest recorded here: Ethan #4 in 2011, Samuel #25 in 2005.
The order changed in 1999: Ethan moved ahead. In 1998 they stood at #44 and #34; by 1999 that had become #34 and #43.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ethan #57, 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 | Ethan | Samuel |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Traditionally associated with qualities like 'solid, enduring, firm'. | 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 | /ˈiːθən/ | /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 | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #49 (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
- Ethan is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin, while Samuel is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew, via Greek Samouel origin.
- Ethan and Samuel both have 2 syllables.
- Ethan'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
Ethan
Popularity journey
First recorded1989
First recorded at #208 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1989 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1991–2025
Highest recorded position: #4 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2011 (recorded 1991–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #49 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · 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