Oisin vs Samuel
Oisin 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.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Oisin was ranked #9 and Samuel #64 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2025, Oisin was ranked #517 and Samuel #66 among boys in England and Wales.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Oisin was ranked #234 and Samuel #69 among boys in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Oisin was ranked #262 and Samuel #76 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Oisin and Samuel over time
Oisin and Samuel appear together in 3 published lists, across 119 years of shared records. Oisin held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Samuel in 1.
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 3 of those lists, and Oisin 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 2006, Oisin moved ahead of Samuel in Northern Ireland · Boys — #30 and #25 the year before became #29 and #36.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Oisin and Samuel changed places 5 times in Northern Ireland · Boys between 1997 and 2024, ending at #9 and #64.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 28 shared years in Northern Ireland · Boys, Oisin and Samuel averaged 28.0 places apart, ending at #9 and #64.
- Mirrored each other
Over 28 shared years in Northern Ireland · Boys, Oisin rose about as far as Samuel fell — from #81 and #39 in 1997 to #9 and #64 in 2024.
- Longest-running competitions
Oisin and Samuel were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #517 and #66.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys61 shared years, 1964–2025
Oisin held the stronger position in 36 of those years, Samuel in 24.
Highest recorded here: Oisin #8 in 2016, Samuel #33 in 2013.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Oisin #262, Samuel #76.
England and Wales · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025
Oisin held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Samuel in 30.
Highest recorded here: Oisin #433 in 2021, Samuel #6 in 2004.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Oisin #517, Samuel #66.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Oisin held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Samuel in 5.
Highest recorded here: Oisin #7 in 2022, Samuel #25 in 2005.
The order changed in 2006: Oisin moved ahead. In 2005 they stood at #30 and #25; by 2006 that had become #29 and #36.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Oisin #9, 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 | Oisin | Samuel |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Traditionally interpreted as 'little deer', combining an Old Irish word for deer or stag with a diminutive ending. | Traditionally rendered as 'name of God', though also popularly interpreted as 'God has heard' — sources differ on which root is emphasised. |
| Origin | Irish | Biblical Hebrew, via Greek Samouel |
| Pronunciation | /oʊˈʃiːn/ | /ˈsæmjuːəl/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 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 #262 (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
- Oisin is recorded with a Irish origin, while Samuel is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew, via Greek Samouel origin.
- Oisin and Samuel both have 2 syllables.
- Oisin's recorded meaning differs from Samuel's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Oisin
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #232 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 recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #7 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2022 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #517 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
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 #66 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys