Graham vs Samuel
Graham 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 2010, Graham was ranked #387 and Samuel #43 among boys in Northern Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1979, Graham was ranked #100 and Samuel #57 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Graham was ranked #5119 and Samuel #60 among boys in England and Wales.
New Zealand · Boys
In 1969, Graham was ranked #66 and Samuel #94 among boys in New Zealand.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Graham was ranked #727 and Samuel #69 among boys in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2023, Graham was ranked #770 and Samuel #90 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Graham and Samuel over time
Graham and Samuel appear together in 3 published lists, across 92 years of shared records. Samuel held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Graham in 1.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Graham 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.
- Longest-running competitions
Graham and Samuel were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 54 years, from 1964 to 2023, ending at #770 and #90.
- Started together, ended far apart
In 1964 they stood at #129 and #119 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, 10 places apart; by 2023 they were #770 and #90.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys54 shared years, 1964–2023
Graham held the stronger position in 30 of those years, Samuel in 24.
Highest recorded here: Graham #52 in 1984, Samuel #33 in 2013.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Graham #770, Samuel #90.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Graham held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Samuel in 29.
Highest recorded here: Graham #341 in 1996, Samuel #6 in 2004.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Graham #5119, Samuel #60.
Northern Ireland · Boys9 shared years, 1997–2010
Graham held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Samuel in 9.
Highest recorded here: Graham #137 in 1998, Samuel #28 in 2001.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2010: Graham #387, Samuel #43.
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 | Graham | 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 | /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) | 88/100 | 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); Graham does not have one recorded yet.
- Graham and Samuel both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Samuel; Graham 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
Graham
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #20 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 recorded1952–1979
Highest recorded position: #20 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1952 (recorded 1952–1979).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #5119 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
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