Evan vs Sam
Evan and Samcompared 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.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Evan was ranked #80 and Sam #50 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1987, Evan was ranked #93 and Sam #87 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Evan was ranked #125 and Sam #187 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Evan was ranked #181 and Sam #127 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Evan was ranked #178 and Sam #334 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Evan was ranked #350 and Sam #289 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2023, Evan was ranked #4709 and Sam #4056 among girls in England and Wales.
Evan and Sam over time
Evan and Sam appear together in 4 published lists, across 110 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
The order between them changed and held in 3 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 2 of the lists they share.
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, Sam moved into the top 50 at #40 in 2021 as Evan fell out of it to #58, having been #49 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2009, Evan moved ahead of Sam in England and Wales · Boys — #80 and #79 the year before became #70 and #88.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 28 shared years in Northern Ireland · Boys, Evan and Sam averaged 52.1 places apart, ending at #125 and #187.
- Longest-running competitions
Evan and Sam were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 43 years, from 1983 to 2025, ending at #80 and #50.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Evan #2096 in 1996, Sam #1697 in 1998.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys43 shared years, 1983–2025
Evan held the stronger position in 36 of those years, Sam in 7.
Highest recorded here: Evan #23 in 2007, Sam #38 in 2015.
The order changed in 2021: Sam moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #49 and #53; by 2021 that had become #58 and #40.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Evan #80, Sam #50.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Evan held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Sam in 13.
Highest recorded here: Evan #70 in 2009, Sam #47 in 1996.
The order changed in 2009: Evan moved ahead. In 2008 they stood at #80 and #79; by 2009 that had become #70 and #88.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Evan #178, Sam #334.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Evan held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Sam in 27.
Highest recorded here: Evan #79 in 2010, Sam #44 in 2005.
The order changed in 2024: Evan moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #181 and #145; by 2024 that had become #125 and #187.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Evan #125, Sam #187.
England and Wales · Girls10 shared years, 1996–2023
Evan held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Sam in 7.
Highest recorded here: Evan #2096 in 1996, Sam #1697 in 1998.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Evan #4709, Sam #4056.
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 | Evan | Sam |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #80 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #50 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Evan has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Sam.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Evan
Popularity journey
First recorded1969
First recorded at #291 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1969 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1969–2025
Highest recorded position: #23 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2007 (recorded 1969–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #350 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Sam
Popularity journey
First recorded1959
First recorded at #340 among boys in Norway in 1959 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1983–2025
Highest recorded position: #38 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2015 (recorded 1983–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #289 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys