Niall vs Samuel
Niall 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.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Niall was ranked #613 and Samuel #60 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Niall was ranked #144 and Samuel #64 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Niall was ranked #246 and Samuel #69 among boys in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Niall was ranked #244 and Samuel #76 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Niall and Samuel over time
Niall and Samuel appear together in 3 published lists, across 119 years of shared records. Samuel held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Niall 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.
Niall 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 took the other's place near the top
In Republic of Ireland · Boys, Samuel moved into the top 50 at #37 in 2003 as Niall fell out of it to #54, having been #40 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2004, Samuel moved ahead of Niall in Northern Ireland · Boys — #33 and #34 the year before became #44 and #29.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 28 shared years in Northern Ireland · Boys, Niall and Samuel averaged 32.4 places apart, ending at #144 and #64.
- Longest-running competitions
Niall and Samuel were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 62 years, from 1964 to 2025, ending at #244 and #76.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
Niall held the stronger position in 39 of those years, Samuel in 23.
Highest recorded here: Niall #16 in 1991, Samuel #33 in 2013.
The order changed in 2003: Samuel moved ahead. In 2002 they stood at #40 and #43; by 2003 that had become #54 and #37.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Niall #244, Samuel #76.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Niall held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Samuel in 29.
Highest recorded here: Niall #106 in 1996, Samuel #6 in 2004.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Niall #613, Samuel #60.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Niall held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Samuel in 24.
Highest recorded here: Niall #26 in 1998, Samuel #25 in 2005.
The order changed in 2004: Samuel moved ahead. In 2003 they stood at #33 and #34; by 2004 that had become #44 and #29.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Niall #144, 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 | Niall | Samuel |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Traditionally rendered as 'name of God', though also popularly interpreted as 'God has heard' — sources differ on which root is emphasised. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Biblical Hebrew, via Greek Samouel |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈsæmjuːəl/ |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #244 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #38 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 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
- Samuel has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew, via Greek Samouel); Niall does not have one recorded yet.
- Niall has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Samuel.
- A meaning is recorded for Samuel; Niall doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Niall
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #47 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #16 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1991 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #244 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · 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