Harrison vs Samuel
Harrison 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 South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Harrison was ranked #29 and Samuel #38 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Harrison was ranked #40 and Samuel #69 among boys in Scotland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Harrison was ranked #60 and Samuel #50 among boys in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Harrison was ranked #52 and Samuel #60 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Harrison was ranked #89 and Samuel #64 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Harrison was ranked #118 and Samuel #76 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Harrison and Samuel over time
Harrison and Samuel appear together in 5 published lists, across 146 years of shared records. Samuel held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Harrison in 0.
The order between them changed and held in 2 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 5 of those lists, and Harrison 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 2019, Harrison moved ahead of Samuel in England and Wales · Boys — #34 and #33 the year before became #37 and #41.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Harrison and Samuel averaged 27.2 places apart, ending at #52 and #60.
- Longest-running competitions
Harrison and Samuel were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 34 years, from 1992 to 2025, ending at #29 and #38.
List by list
New South Wales, Australia · Boys34 shared years, 1992–2025
Harrison held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Samuel in 24.
Highest recorded here: Harrison #13 in 2017, Samuel #10 in 2003.
The order changed in 2017: Harrison moved ahead. In 2016 they stood at #16 and #15; by 2017 that had become #13 and #17.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Harrison #29, Samuel #38.
New Zealand · Boys30 shared years, 1994–2023
Harrison held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Samuel in 25.
Highest recorded here: Harrison #28 in 2018, Samuel #3 in 1998.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Harrison #60, Samuel #50.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Harrison held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Samuel in 23.
Highest recorded here: Harrison #30 in 2007, Samuel #6 in 2004.
The order changed in 2019: Harrison moved ahead. In 2018 they stood at #34 and #33; by 2019 that had become #37 and #41.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Harrison #52, Samuel #60.
Republic of Ireland · Boys27 shared years, 1999–2025
Harrison held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Samuel in 27.
Highest recorded here: Harrison #116 in 2020, Samuel #33 in 2013.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Harrison #118, Samuel #76.
Northern Ireland · Boys26 shared years, 1999–2024
Harrison held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Samuel in 25.
Highest recorded here: Harrison #74 in 2019, Samuel #25 in 2005.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Harrison #89, 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 | Harrison | 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 | 3 | 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 | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #29 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #38 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 76/100 | 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); Harrison does not have one recorded yet.
- Harrison has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Samuel.
- A meaning is recorded for Samuel; Harrison 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
Harrison
Popularity journey
First recorded1992
First recorded at #96 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1992 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1992–2025
Highest recorded position: #13 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2017 (recorded 1992–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #29 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