Noah vs Samuel
Noah 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 South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Noah was ranked #1 and Samuel #38 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Noah was ranked #1 and Samuel #50 among boys in New Zealand.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Noah was ranked #1 and Samuel #75 among boys in Norway.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Noah was ranked #1 and Samuel #69 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Noah was ranked #2 and Samuel #60 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Noah was ranked #3 and Samuel #64 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Noah was ranked #3 and Samuel #76 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Noah and Samuel over time
Noah and Samuel appear together in 7 published lists, across 209 years of shared records. Noah held the stronger position in more years in 6 of them, Samuel in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 6 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 6 of those lists, and Noah 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, Noah moved ahead of Samuel in England and Wales · Boys — #16 and #15 the year before became #14 and #15.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 52 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Noah and Samuel averaged 59.7 places apart, ending at #2 and #60.
- Mirrored each other
Over 28 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Noah rose about as far as Samuel fell — from #100 and #16 in 1998 to #1 and #38 in 2025.
- Longest-running competitions
Noah and Samuel were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 52 years, from 1996 to 2024, ending at #2 and #60.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Norway · Boys within 2 years — Noah #1 in 2021, Samuel #44 in 2019.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys52 shared years, 1996–2024
Noah held the stronger position in 36 of those years, Samuel in 16.
Highest recorded here: Noah #1 in 2021, Samuel #6 in 2004.
The order changed in 2012: Noah moved ahead. In 2011 they stood at #16 and #15; by 2012 that had become #14 and #15.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Noah #2, Samuel #60.
Norway · Boys33 shared years, 1990–2025
Noah held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Samuel in 8.
Highest recorded here: Noah #1 in 2021, Samuel #44 in 2019.
The order changed in 2001: Noah moved ahead. In 2000 they stood at #177 and #151; by 2001 that had become #77 and #138.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Noah #1, Samuel #75.
Republic of Ireland · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025
Noah held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Samuel in 14.
Highest recorded here: Noah #2 in 2021, Samuel #33 in 2013.
The order changed in 2010: Noah moved ahead. In 2009 they stood at #41 and #37; by 2010 that had become #26 and #38.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Noah #3, Samuel #76.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys28 shared years, 1998–2025
Noah held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Samuel in 8.
Highest recorded here: Noah #1 in 2022, Samuel #10 in 2003.
The order changed in 2006: Noah moved ahead. In 2005 they stood at #16 and #11; by 2006 that had become #8 and #13.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Noah #1, Samuel #38.
Northern Ireland · Boys27 shared years, 1998–2024
Noah held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Samuel in 11.
Highest recorded here: Noah #1 in 2018, Samuel #25 in 2005.
The order changed in 2009: Noah moved ahead. In 2008 they stood at #42 and #37; by 2009 that had become #30 and #35.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Noah #3, Samuel #64.
New Zealand · Boys23 shared years, 2001–2023
Noah held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Samuel in 12.
Highest recorded here: Noah #1 in 2023, Samuel #3 in 2001.
The order changed in 2014: Noah moved ahead. In 2013 they stood at #9 and #7; by 2014 that had become #7 and #14.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Noah #1, Samuel #50.
Scotland · Boys16 shared years, 2024–2024
Noah held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Samuel in 0.
Highest recorded here: Noah #1 in 2024, Samuel #69 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Noah #1, Samuel #69.
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 | Noah | Samuel |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Commonly interpreted as 'rest' or 'comfort'. | Traditionally rendered as 'name of God', though also popularly interpreted as 'God has heard' — sources differ on which root is emphasised. |
| Origin | Hebrew | Biblical Hebrew, via Greek Samouel |
| Pronunciation | /ˈnoʊə/ | /ˈsæmjuːəl/ |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Noa, Noé | 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 | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #1 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #38 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | medium |
What the data shows
- Noah is recorded with a Hebrew origin, while Samuel is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew, via Greek Samouel origin.
- Noah has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Samuel.
- Noah'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.
- The available evidence gives Noah a "high" Data Confidence level and Samuel a "medium" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
Noah
Popularity journey
First recorded1990
First recorded at #640 among boys in Norway in 1990 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in England and Wales, in 2021 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #1 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