James vs Samuel
James 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 2024, James was ranked #1 and Samuel #64 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, James was ranked #4 and Samuel #76 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, James was ranked #14 and Samuel #69 among boys in Scotland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, James was ranked #15 and Samuel #38 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, James was ranked #15 and Samuel #50 among boys in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, James was ranked #40 and Samuel #60 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, James was ranked #355 and Samuel #75 among boys in Norway.
James and Samuel over time
James and Samuel appear together in 6 published lists, across 298 years of shared records. James held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Samuel in 1.
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.
James reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 of those lists, Samuel 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 1988, Samuel moved ahead of James in Norway · Boys — #220 and #259 the year before became #268 and #188.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
James and Samuel changed places 4 times in New Zealand · Boys between 1967 and 2023, ending at #15 and #50.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, James and Samuel averaged 9.5 places apart, ending at #40 and #60.
- Mirrored each other
Over 28 shared years in Northern Ireland · Boys, James rose about as far as Samuel fell — from #3 and #39 in 1997 to #1 and #64 in 2024.
- Longest-running competitions
James and Samuel were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 53 years, from 1972 to 2025, ending at #15 and #38.
List by list
Norway · Boys72 shared years, 1946–2025
James held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Samuel in 46.
Highest recorded here: James #218 in 1978, Samuel #44 in 2019.
The order changed in 1988: Samuel moved ahead. In 1987 they stood at #220 and #259; by 1988 that had become #268 and #188.
Most recent shared year, 2025: James #355, Samuel #75.
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
James held the stronger position in 62 of those years, Samuel in 0.
Highest recorded here: James #1 in 1994, Samuel #33 in 2013.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: James #4, Samuel #76.
New Zealand · Boys54 shared years, 1967–2023
James held the stronger position in 44 of those years, Samuel in 10.
Highest recorded here: James #2 in 1993, Samuel #3 in 1998.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: James #15, Samuel #50.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys53 shared years, 1972–2025
James held the stronger position in 53 of those years, Samuel in 0.
Highest recorded here: James #3 in 1996, Samuel #10 in 2003.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: James #15, Samuel #38.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
James held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Samuel in 0.
Highest recorded here: James #2 in 1997, Samuel #6 in 2004.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: James #40, Samuel #60.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
James held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Samuel in 0.
Highest recorded here: James #1 in 2015, Samuel #25 in 2005.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: James #1, 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 | James | Samuel |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Supplanter, held by the heel (traditional interpretation via Jacob). | Traditionally rendered as 'name of God', though also popularly interpreted as 'God has heard' — sources differ on which root is emphasised. |
| Origin | Hebrew, via Late Latin Iacomus | Biblical Hebrew, via Greek Samouel |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdʒeɪmz/ | /ˈsæmjuːəl/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Jim, Jamie, Iacomus | 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 | Republic of Ireland · Boys #4 (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
- James is recorded with a Hebrew, via Late Latin Iacomus origin, while Samuel is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew, via Greek Samouel origin.
- James and Samuel both have 2 syllables.
- James'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 James 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
James
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #344 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2015 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #15 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