Michael vs Samuel
Michael 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.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Michael was ranked #22 and Samuel #76 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Michael was ranked #62 and Samuel #38 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2022, Michael was ranked #95 and Samuel #48 among boys in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Michael was ranked #85 and Samuel #60 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Michael was ranked #66 and Samuel #64 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Michael was ranked #66 and Samuel #69 among boys in Scotland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Michael was ranked #195 and Samuel #75 among boys in Norway.
Michael and Samuel over time
Michael and Samuel appear together in 6 published lists, across 299 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
The order between them changed and held in 3 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Michael reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 6 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 1999, Samuel moved ahead of Michael in New South Wales, Australia · Boys — #14 and #16 the year before became #16 and #14.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Michael and Samuel averaged 29.9 places apart, ending at #85 and #60.
- Longest-running competitions
Michael and Samuel were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 53 years, from 1972 to 2025, ending at #62 and #38.
List by list
Norway · Boys73 shared years, 1946–2025
Michael held the stronger position in 51 of those years, Samuel in 22.
Highest recorded here: Michael #48 in 1990, Samuel #44 in 2019.
The order changed in 2004: Samuel moved ahead. In 2003 they stood at #88 and #138; by 2004 that had become #123 and #114.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Michael #195, Samuel #75.
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
Michael held the stronger position in 62 of those years, Samuel in 0.
Highest recorded here: Michael #2 in 1966, Samuel #33 in 2013.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Michael #22, Samuel #76.
New Zealand · Boys54 shared years, 1967–2022
Michael held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Samuel in 30.
Highest recorded here: Michael #1 in 1968, Samuel #3 in 1998.
The order changed in 1994: Samuel moved ahead. In 1993 they stood at #4 and #5; by 1994 that had become #6 and #5.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Michael #95, Samuel #48.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys53 shared years, 1972–2025
Michael held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Samuel in 27.
Highest recorded here: Michael #1 in 1974, Samuel #10 in 2003.
The order changed in 1999: Samuel moved ahead. In 1998 they stood at #14 and #16; by 1999 that had become #16 and #14.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Michael #62, Samuel #38.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Michael held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Samuel in 29.
Highest recorded here: Michael #22 in 1996, Samuel #6 in 2004.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Michael #85, Samuel #60.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Michael held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Samuel in 1.
Highest recorded here: Michael #7 in 1997, Samuel #25 in 2005.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Michael #66, 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.
Side by side
| Field | Michael | Samuel |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Commonly interpreted as a rhetorical question, 'Who is like God?', implying no one compares to God. | Traditionally rendered as 'name of God', though also popularly interpreted as 'God has heard' — sources differ on which root is emphasised. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Biblical Hebrew, via Greek Samouel |
| Pronunciation | /ˈmaɪkəl/ | /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 | Republic of Ireland · Boys #22 (2025) | 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
- Michael is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin, while Samuel is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew, via Greek Samouel origin.
- Michael and Samuel both have 2 syllables.
- Michael'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
Michael
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #259 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1974 (recorded 1952–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #62 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