Garry vs Samuel
Garry 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.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2002, Garry was ranked #281 and Samuel #36 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2009, Garry was ranked #701 and Samuel #37 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2023, Garry was ranked #4991 and Samuel #62 among boys in England and Wales.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Garry was ranked #727 and Samuel #69 among boys in Scotland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1974, Garry was ranked #98 and Samuel #80 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Garry and Samuel over time
Garry and Samuel appear together in 2 published lists, across 71 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
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.
Garry reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 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 1988, Samuel moved ahead of Garry in Republic of Ireland · Boys — #115 and #147 the year before became #131 and #99.
- Longest-running competitions
Garry and Samuel were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 45 years, from 1964 to 2009, ending at #701 and #37.
- Started together, ended far apart
In 1964 they stood at #114 and #119 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, 5 places apart; by 2009 they were #701 and #37.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys45 shared years, 1964–2009
Garry held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Samuel in 22.
Highest recorded here: Garry #79 in 1980, Samuel #34 in 2004.
The order changed in 1988: Samuel moved ahead. In 1987 they stood at #115 and #147; by 1988 that had become #131 and #99.
Most recent shared year, 2009: Garry #701, Samuel #37.
England and Wales · Boys26 shared years, 1996–2023
Garry held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Samuel in 26.
Highest recorded here: Garry #573 in 1996, Samuel #6 in 2004.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Garry #4991, Samuel #62.
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 | Garry | Samuel |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Traditionally rendered as 'name of God', though also popularly interpreted as 'God has heard' — sources differ on which root is emphasised. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Biblical Hebrew, via Greek Samouel |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /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, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Scotland · Boys #727 (2024) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #38 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 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
- Samuel has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew, via Greek Samouel); Garry does not have one recorded yet.
- Garry and Samuel both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Samuel; Garry 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
Garry
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #19 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1952–1974
Highest recorded position: #15 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1954 (recorded 1952–1974).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2023
Most recently recorded at #4991 among boys in England and Wales, in 2023.
England and Wales · 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