Kenneth vs Samuel
Kenneth 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 1981, Kenneth was ranked #88 and Samuel #22 among boys in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2007, Kenneth was ranked #315 and Samuel #26 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2021, Kenneth was ranked #475 and Samuel #48 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Kenneth was ranked #968 and Samuel #60 among boys in England and Wales.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1977, Kenneth was ranked #99 and Samuel #62 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Kenneth was ranked #535 and Samuel #69 among boys in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Kenneth was ranked #785 and Samuel #70 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Kenneth and Samuel over time
Kenneth and Samuel appear together in 3 published lists, across 157 years of shared records. Samuel held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Kenneth in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 2 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 Samuel 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2000, Samuel moved ahead of Kenneth in Norway · Boys — #139 and #140 the year before became #159 and #151.
- Mirrored each other
Over 68 shared years in Norway · Boys, Samuel rose about as far as Kenneth fell — from #275 and #339 in 1946 to #475 and #48 in 2021.
- Longest-running competitions
Kenneth and Samuel were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 68 years, from 1946 to 2021, ending at #475 and #48.
List by list
Norway · Boys68 shared years, 1946–2021
Kenneth held the stronger position in 46 of those years, Samuel in 22.
Highest recorded here: Kenneth #10 in 1979, Samuel #44 in 2019.
The order changed in 2000: Samuel moved ahead. In 1999 they stood at #139 and #140; by 2000 that had become #159 and #151.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Kenneth #475, Samuel #48.
Republic of Ireland · Boys60 shared years, 1964–2024
Kenneth held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Samuel in 32.
Highest recorded here: Kenneth #26 in 1972, Samuel #33 in 2013.
The order changed in 1992: Samuel moved ahead. In 1991 they stood at #81 and #96; by 1992 that had become #80 and #73.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Kenneth #785, Samuel #70.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Kenneth held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Samuel in 29.
Highest recorded here: Kenneth #345 in 1996, Samuel #6 in 2004.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Kenneth #968, Samuel #60.
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 | Samuel |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| 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. | Traditionally rendered as 'name of God', though also popularly interpreted as 'God has heard' — sources differ on which root is emphasised. |
| Origin | Scottish Gaelic | Biblical Hebrew, via Greek Samouel |
| Pronunciation | /ˈkɛn.əθ/ | /ˈsæmjuːəl/ |
| 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 | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Scotland · Boys #535 (2024) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #38 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| 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 is recorded with a Scottish Gaelic origin, while Samuel is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew, via Greek Samouel origin.
- Kenneth and Samuel both have 2 syllables.
- Kenneth'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.
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
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