Ezra vs Sam
Ezra 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.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Ezra was ranked #38 and Sam #334 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Ezra was ranked #42 and Sam #187 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Ezra was ranked #156 and Sam #50 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Ezra was ranked #91 and Sam #127 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2023, Ezra was ranked #1135 and Sam #4056 among girls in England and Wales.
Ezra and Sam over time
Ezra and Sam appear together in 4 published lists, across 64 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.
Sam reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, and Ezra 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 2015, Ezra moved ahead of Sam in England and Wales · Boys — #213 and #140 the year before became #127 and #177.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Ezra held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Sam in 19.
Highest recorded here: Ezra #38 in 2023, Sam #47 in 1996.
The order changed in 2015: Ezra moved ahead. In 2014 they stood at #213 and #140; by 2015 that had become #127 and #177.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ezra #38, Sam #334.
Republic of Ireland · Boys15 shared years, 2001–2025
Ezra held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Sam in 15.
Highest recorded here: Ezra #156 in 2025, Sam #38 in 2015.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ezra #156, Sam #50.
Northern Ireland · Boys12 shared years, 2013–2024
Ezra held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Sam in 4.
Highest recorded here: Ezra #23 in 2023, Sam #70 in 2014.
The order changed in 2018: Ezra moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #78 and #78; by 2018 that had become #72 and #100.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ezra #42, Sam #187.
England and Wales · Girls8 shared years, 1997–2023
Ezra held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Sam in 3.
Highest recorded here: Ezra #1135 in 2023, Sam #1697 in 1998.
The order changed in 2011: Ezra moved ahead. In 2010 they stood at #5707 and #4688; by 2011 that had become #3185 and #4764.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Ezra #1135, 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 | Ezra | Sam |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Commonly interpreted as 'help', with a fuller theophoric sense 'God has helped'. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɛzrə/ | 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, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #58 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #50 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 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
- Ezra has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew); Sam does not have one recorded yet.
- Ezra has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Sam.
- A meaning is recorded for Ezra; Sam doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Ezra
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #633 among boys in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Highest recorded2013–2024
Highest recorded position: #23 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2023 (recorded 2013–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #58 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · 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