Mason vs Samuel
Mason 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.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Mason was ranked #25 and Samuel #69 among boys in Scotland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Mason was ranked #26 and Samuel #50 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Mason was ranked #56 and Samuel #38 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Mason was ranked #63 and Samuel #60 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Mason was ranked #61 and Samuel #64 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Mason was ranked #75 and Samuel #76 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Mason and Samuel over time
Mason and Samuel appear together in 5 published lists, across 126 years of shared records. Samuel held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Mason in 0.
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.
Samuel reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 of those lists, and Mason 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 2012, Mason moved ahead of Samuel in New Zealand · Boys — #15 and #7 the year before became #5 and #6.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Mason and Samuel changed places 4 times in New South Wales, Australia · Boys between 2003 and 2025, ending at #56 and #38.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Mason and Samuel averaged 42.2 places apart, ending at #63 and #60.
- Mirrored each other
Over 26 shared years in Northern Ireland · Boys, Mason rose about as far as Samuel fell — from #240 and #34 in 1998 to #61 and #64 in 2024.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Mason held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Samuel in 25.
Highest recorded here: Mason #27 in 2013, Samuel #6 in 2004.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Mason #63, Samuel #60.
Northern Ireland · Boys26 shared years, 1998–2024
Mason held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Samuel in 13.
Highest recorded here: Mason #15 in 2013, Samuel #25 in 2005.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Mason #61, Samuel #64.
Republic of Ireland · Boys25 shared years, 1993–2025
Mason held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Samuel in 15.
Highest recorded here: Mason #32 in 2022, Samuel #33 in 2013.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Mason #75, Samuel #76.
New Zealand · Boys24 shared years, 2000–2023
Mason held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Samuel in 12.
Highest recorded here: Mason #4 in 2014, Samuel #3 in 2000.
The order changed in 2012: Mason moved ahead. In 2011 they stood at #15 and #7; by 2012 that had become #5 and #6.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Mason #26, Samuel #50.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys22 shared years, 2003–2025
Mason held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Samuel in 17.
Highest recorded here: Mason #14 in 2018, Samuel #10 in 2003.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Mason #56, Samuel #38.
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 | Mason | Samuel |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Originally an occupational surname/vocabulary word meaning 'stoneworker', later adopted as a given name. The deeper root of the word itself is disputed among etymologists — a Germanic (Frankish) origin versus an alternative Medieval Latin source. | Traditionally rendered as 'name of God', though also popularly interpreted as 'God has heard' — sources differ on which root is emphasised. |
| Origin | English surname, from Old French masson/macon | Biblical Hebrew, via Greek Samouel |
| Pronunciation | /ˈmeɪsən/ | /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, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #56 (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 | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Mason is recorded with a English surname, from Old French masson/macon origin, while Samuel is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew, via Greek Samouel origin.
- Mason and Samuel both have 2 syllables.
- Mason'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, NZ.
How each name got here
Mason
Popularity journey
First recorded1993
First recorded at #339 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1993 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded2000–2023
Highest recorded position: #4 among boys in New Zealand, in 2014 (recorded 2000–2023).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #56 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