Henry vs Samuel
Henry 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, Henry was ranked #6 and Samuel #38 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Henry was ranked #8 and Samuel #50 among boys in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Henry was ranked #14 and Samuel #60 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Henry was ranked #45 and Samuel #64 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Henry was ranked #50 and Samuel #75 among boys in Norway.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Henry was ranked #95 and Samuel #69 among boys in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Henry was ranked #76 and Samuel #76 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Henry and Samuel over time
Henry and Samuel appear together in 6 published lists, across 260 years of shared records. Samuel held the stronger position in more years in 6 of them, Henry in 0.
The order between them changed and held in 4 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, Henry in 1. 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 2013, Henry moved ahead of Samuel in England and Wales · Boys — #24 and #15 the year before became #18 and #20.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Henry and Samuel changed places 5 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 1964 and 2025, ending at #76 and #76.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Henry and Samuel averaged 31.7 places apart, ending at #14 and #60.
- Mirrored each other
Over 31 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Henry rose about as far as Samuel fell — from #97 and #16 in 1993 to #6 and #38 in 2025.
- Longest-running competitions
Henry and Samuel were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 31 years, from 1993 to 2025, ending at #6 and #38.
List by list
Norway · Boys73 shared years, 1946–2025
Henry held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Samuel in 48.
Highest recorded here: Henry #50 in 2025, Samuel #44 in 2019.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Henry #50, Samuel #75.
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
Henry held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Samuel in 39.
Highest recorded here: Henry #60 in 1964, Samuel #33 in 2013.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Henry #76, Samuel #76.
New Zealand · Boys37 shared years, 1986–2023
Henry held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Samuel in 30.
Highest recorded here: Henry #8 in 2023, Samuel #3 in 1998.
The order changed in 2017: Henry moved ahead. In 2016 they stood at #26 and #19; by 2017 that had become #19 and #25.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Henry #8, Samuel #50.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys31 shared years, 1993–2025
Henry held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Samuel in 22.
Highest recorded here: Henry #4 in 2023, Samuel #10 in 2004.
The order changed in 2017: Henry moved ahead. In 2016 they stood at #18 and #15; by 2017 that had become #6 and #17.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Henry #6, Samuel #38.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Henry held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Samuel in 17.
Highest recorded here: Henry #10 in 2021, Samuel #6 in 2004.
The order changed in 2013: Henry moved ahead. In 2012 they stood at #24 and #15; by 2013 that had become #18 and #20.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Henry #14, Samuel #60.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Henry held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Samuel in 21.
Highest recorded here: Henry #22 in 2023, Samuel #25 in 2005.
The order changed in 2020: Henry moved ahead. In 2019 they stood at #76 and #76; by 2020 that had become #54 and #82.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Henry #45, 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 | Henry | Samuel |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Home ruler, estate ruler. | Traditionally rendered as 'name of God', though also popularly interpreted as 'God has heard' — sources differ on which root is emphasised. |
| Origin | Germanic, via Old French Henri | Biblical Hebrew, via Greek Samouel |
| Pronunciation | /ˈhɛnɹi/ | /ˈsæmjuːəl/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Harry, Hal, Heinrich, Henri | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #6 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #38 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | medium |
What the data shows
- Henry is recorded with a Germanic, via Old French Henri origin, while Samuel is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew, via Greek Samouel origin.
- Henry and Samuel both have 2 syllables.
- Henry's recorded meaning differs from Samuel's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
- The available evidence gives Henry a "high" Data Confidence level and Samuel a "medium" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
Henry
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #102 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1993–2025
Highest recorded position: #4 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2023 (recorded 1993–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #6 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