Keegan vs Sam
Keegan and Samcompared 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.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Keegan was ranked #348 and Sam #50 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2001, Keegan was ranked #99 and Sam #56 among boys in New Zealand.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Keegan was ranked #478 and Sam #127 among boys in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Keegan was ranked #305 and Sam #187 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Keegan was ranked #773 and Sam #334 among boys in England and Wales.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2011, Keegan was ranked #5785 and Sam #4764 among girls in England and Wales.
Keegan and Sam over time
Keegan and Sam appear together in 4 published lists, across 73 years of shared records. Sam held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Keegan in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Sam reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Keegan 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.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Keegan held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Sam in 29.
Highest recorded here: Keegan #306 in 2008, Sam #47 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Keegan #773, Sam #334.
Republic of Ireland · Boys19 shared years, 2007–2025
Keegan held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Sam in 19.
Highest recorded here: Keegan #168 in 2020, Sam #38 in 2015.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Keegan #348, Sam #50.
Northern Ireland · Boys16 shared years, 2005–2024
Keegan held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Sam in 16.
Highest recorded here: Keegan #185 in 2019, Sam #44 in 2005.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Keegan #305, Sam #187.
England and Wales · Girls9 shared years, 1996–2011
Keegan held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Sam in 7.
Highest recorded here: Keegan #1802 in 1997, Sam #1697 in 1998.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2011: Keegan #5785, Sam #4764.
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 | Keegan | Sam |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #348 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #50 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Keegan has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Sam.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Keegan
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #2683 among girls in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2001
Highest recorded position: #70 among boys in New Zealand, in 1997 (recorded 1996–2001).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #348 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Sam
Popularity journey
First recorded1959
First recorded at #340 among boys in Norway in 1959 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1983–2025
Highest recorded position: #38 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2015 (recorded 1983–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #289 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys