Sam vs Seth
Sam and Sethcompared 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, Sam was ranked #50 and Seth #577 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2011, Sam was ranked #65 and Seth #84 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2008, Sam was ranked #94 and Seth #78 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Sam was ranked #187 and Seth #108 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Sam was ranked #127 and Seth #535 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Sam was ranked #334 and Seth #308 among boys in England and Wales.
Sam and Seth over time
Sam and Seth appear together in 4 published lists, across 86 years of shared records. Sam held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Seth in 0.
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.
Sam reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Seth in 1. 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 2011, Seth moved ahead of Sam in England and Wales · Boys — #93 and #114 the year before became #112 and #101.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Sam and Seth changed places 4 times in New Zealand · Boys between 2000 and 2011, ending at #65 and #84.
- Mirrored each other
Over 22 shared years in Northern Ireland · Boys, Seth rose about as far as Sam fell — from #98 and #277 in 2000 to #187 and #108 in 2024.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in New Zealand · Boys within 2 years — Sam #49 in 2005, Seth #51 in 2005.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Sam held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Seth in 14.
Highest recorded here: Sam #47 in 1996, Seth #90 in 2014.
The order changed in 2011: Seth moved ahead. In 2010 they stood at #93 and #114; by 2011 that had become #112 and #101.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Sam #334, Seth #308.
Republic of Ireland · Boys24 shared years, 2001–2025
Sam held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Seth in 0.
Highest recorded here: Sam #38 in 2015, Seth #292 in 2002.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Sam #50, Seth #577.
Northern Ireland · Boys22 shared years, 2000–2024
Sam held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Seth in 7.
Highest recorded here: Sam #44 in 2005, Seth #81 in 2015.
The order changed in 2021: Seth moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #123 and #132; by 2021 that had become #113 and #87.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Sam #187, Seth #108.
New Zealand · Boys11 shared years, 2000–2011
Sam held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Seth in 2.
Highest recorded here: Sam #49 in 2005, Seth #51 in 2005.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2011: Sam #65, Seth #84.
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 | Sam | Seth |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | |
| Syllables | 1 | 1 |
| 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, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #50 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #577 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Sam and Seth both have 1 syllable.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Sam
Popularity journey
First recorded1959
First recorded at #340 among boys in Norway in 1959 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1983–2025
Highest recorded position: #38 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2015 (recorded 1983–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #289 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Seth
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #441 among boys in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Highest recorded2000–2011
Highest recorded position: #51 among boys in New Zealand, in 2005 (recorded 2000–2011).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #577 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys