Kenneth vs Samson
Kenneth and Samsoncompared 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.
Norway · Boys
In 2021, Kenneth was ranked #475 and Samson #491 among boys in Norway.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Kenneth was ranked #535 and Samson #619 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Kenneth was ranked #968 and Samson #651 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Kenneth was ranked #785 and Samson #785 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Kenneth and Samson over time
Kenneth and Samson appear together in 3 published lists, across 75 years of shared records. Kenneth held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Samson 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.
Kenneth reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Samson 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Kenneth and Samson changed places 8 times in Norway · Boys between 1969 and 2021, ending at #475 and #491.
- Longest-running competitions
Kenneth and Samson were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 32 years, from 1969 to 2021, ending at #475 and #491.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Kenneth #167 in 1999, Samson #347 in 2001.
List by list
Norway · Boys32 shared years, 1969–2021
Kenneth held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Samson in 5.
Highest recorded here: Kenneth #15 in 1980, Samson #349 in 2017.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Kenneth #475, Samson #491.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Kenneth held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Samson in 19.
Highest recorded here: Kenneth #345 in 1996, Samson #452 in 2016.
The order changed in 2007: Samson moved ahead. In 2006 they stood at #688 and #698; by 2007 that had become #820 and #476.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Kenneth #968, Samson #651.
Republic of Ireland · Boys14 shared years, 1999–2024
Kenneth held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Samson in 1.
Highest recorded here: Kenneth #167 in 1999, Samson #347 in 2001.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Kenneth #785, Samson #785.
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 | Kenneth | Samson |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | An Anglicized form of both Coinneach and Cináed, of Scottish Gaelic origin. Borne by the Scottish king Kenneth mac Alpin, who united the Scots and Picts in the 9th century. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Scottish Gaelic | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈkɛn.əθ/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Scotland · Boys #535 (2024) | Norway · Boys #439 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Kenneth has a recorded origin (Scottish Gaelic); Samson does not have one recorded yet.
- Kenneth and Samson both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Kenneth; Samson doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Kenneth
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #303 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1945–2021
Highest recorded position: #10 among boys in Norway, in 1979 (recorded 1945–2021).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #968 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys
Samson
Popularity journey
First recorded1969
First recorded at #541 among boys in Norway in 1969 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #439 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys