Osvald vs Samuel
Osvald 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.
Norway · Boys
In 2023, Osvald was ranked #526 and Samuel #54 among boys in Norway.
Osvald and Samuel over time
Osvald and Samuel appear together in 1 published list, across 13 years of shared records. Osvald held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Samuel 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.
Osvald reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 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 2008, Samuel moved ahead of Osvald in Norway · Boys — #395 and #400 the year before became #569 and #93.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Osvald and Samuel changed places 5 times in Norway · Boys between 1946 and 2023, ending at #526 and #54.
List by list
Norway · Boys13 shared years, 1946–2023
Osvald held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Samuel in 6.
Highest recorded here: Osvald #258 in 1951, Samuel #50 in 2020.
The order changed in 2008: Samuel moved ahead. In 2007 they stood at #395 and #400; by 2008 that had become #569 and #93.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Osvald #526, Samuel #54.
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.
Where to go next
Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.
Other comparisons involving Samuel
Pairs where Samuel shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.
- Samuel vs Graham
In 1964 they stood at #119 and #129 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, 10 places apart; by 2023 they were #90 and #770.
Samuel · Graham · 54 shared years, 1964–2023 · Started together, ended far apart
- Samuel vs Garry
In 1964 they stood at #119 and #114 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, 5 places apart; by 2009 they were #37 and #701.
Samuel · Garry · 45 shared years, 1964–2009 · Started together, ended far apart
- Samuel vs Roger
In 1964 they stood at #119 and #113 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, 6 places apart; by 2021 they were #75 and #631.
Samuel · Roger · 41 shared years, 1964–2021 · Started together, ended far apart
- Samuel vs Ross
In 1997 they stood at #39 and #30 in Northern Ireland · Boys, 9 places apart; by 2023 they were #79 and #395.
Samuel · Ross · 27 shared years, 1997–2023 · Started together, ended far apart
Side by side
| Field | Osvald | 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 | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #526 (2023) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #38 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 40/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Samuel has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew, via Greek Samouel); Osvald does not have one recorded yet.
- Osvald and Samuel both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Samuel; Osvald doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in NO.
How each name got here
Osvald
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #308 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1945–2023
Highest recorded position: #258 among boys in Norway, in 1951 (recorded 1945–2023).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2023
Most recently recorded at #526 among boys in Norway, in 2023.
Norway · 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