Joel vs Samuel

Joel 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 Zealand · Boys
In 2013, Joel was ranked #79 and Samuel #7 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2010, Joel was ranked #100 and Samuel #12 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Joel was ranked #209 and Samuel #60 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Joel was ranked #154 and Samuel #64 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Joel was ranked #278 and Samuel #69 among boys in Scotland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Joel was ranked #178 and Samuel #75 among boys in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Joel was ranked #509 and Samuel #76 among boys in Republic of Ireland.

Joel and Samuel over time

Joel and Samuel appear together in 6 published lists, across 211 years of shared records. Samuel held the stronger position in more years in 6 of them, Joel in 0.

In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.

Joel reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, Samuel in 2. 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.

Repeatedly exchanged positions
Joel and Samuel changed places 4 times in New South Wales, Australia · Boys between 1976 and 2010, ending at #100 and #12.
Closest over the longest run
Across 35 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Joel and Samuel averaged 26.7 places apart, ending at #100 and #12.
Longest-running competitions
Joel and Samuel were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 35 years, from 1976 to 2010, ending at #100 and #12.
Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Joel #38 in 2003, Samuel #25 in 2005.

List by list

Norway · Boys51 shared years, 1969–2025
Joel held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Samuel in 51.
Highest recorded here: Joel #148 in 2021, Samuel #44 in 2019.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Joel #178, Samuel #75.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys35 shared years, 1976–2010
Joel held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Samuel in 27.
Highest recorded here: Joel #27 in 1987, Samuel #10 in 2003.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2010: Joel #100, Samuel #12.
Republic of Ireland · Boys35 shared years, 1973–2025
Joel held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Samuel in 35.
Highest recorded here: Joel #185 in 2005, Samuel #33 in 2013.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Joel #509, Samuel #76.
New Zealand · Boys33 shared years, 1980–2013
Joel held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Samuel in 33.
Highest recorded here: Joel #40 in 2005, Samuel #3 in 1998.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2013: Joel #79, Samuel #7.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Joel held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Samuel in 29.
Highest recorded here: Joel #62 in 2001, Samuel #6 in 2004.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Joel #209, Samuel #60.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Joel held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Samuel in 28.
Highest recorded here: Joel #38 in 2003, Samuel #25 in 2005.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Joel #154, 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.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving Samuel

Pairs where Samuel shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Samuel vs Graham
In 1964 they stood at #119 and #129 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, 10 places apart; by 2023 they were #90 and #770.
Samuel · Graham · 54 shared years, 1964–2023 · Started together, ended far apart
See the 2023 Republic of Ireland ranking
Samuel vs Garry
In 1964 they stood at #119 and #114 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, 5 places apart; by 2009 they were #37 and #701.
Samuel · Garry · 45 shared years, 1964–2009 · Started together, ended far apart
See the 2009 Republic of Ireland ranking
Samuel vs Roger
In 1964 they stood at #119 and #113 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, 6 places apart; by 2021 they were #75 and #631.
Samuel · Roger · 41 shared years, 1964–2021 · Started together, ended far apart
See the 2021 Republic of Ireland ranking
Samuel vs Ross
In 1997 they stood at #39 and #30 in Northern Ireland · Boys, 9 places apart; by 2023 they were #79 and #395.
Samuel · Ross · 27 shared years, 1997–2023 · Started together, ended far apart
See the 2023 Northern Ireland ranking

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Joel, Samuel
Field	Joel	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	1	2
Common variants / nicknames	Not yet recorded	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	Norway · Boys #178 (2025)	New South Wales, Australia · Boys #38 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)	Not yet recorded	90/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)	95/100	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); Joel does not have one recorded yet.
Joel has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Samuel.
A meaning is recorded for Samuel; Joel doesn't have one written yet.
Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.

How each name got here

Joel

Popularity journey

First recorded1969
First recorded at #523 among boys in Norway in 1969 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1976–2010
Highest recorded position: #27 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1987 (recorded 1976–2010).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #178 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · 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