Samuel vs Ted
Samuel and Tedcompared 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, Samuel was ranked #60 and Ted #232 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Samuel was ranked #64 and Ted #256 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Samuel was ranked #69 and Ted #619 among boys in Scotland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Samuel was ranked #75 and Ted #476 among boys in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Samuel was ranked #76 and Ted #170 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Samuel and Ted over time
Samuel and Ted appear together in 4 published lists, across 98 years of shared records. Samuel held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Ted 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.
Samuel reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Ted 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Samuel and Ted changed places 7 times in Norway · Boys between 1965 and 2025, ending at #75 and #476.
- Longest-running competitions
Samuel and Ted were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 32 years, from 1965 to 2025, ending at #75 and #476.
List by list
Norway · Boys32 shared years, 1965–2025
Samuel held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Ted in 6.
Highest recorded here: Samuel #44 in 2019, Ted #347 in 1965.
The order changed in 1976: Samuel moved ahead. In 1975 they stood at #505 and #408; by 1976 that had become #260 and #526.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Samuel #75, Ted #476.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Samuel held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Ted in 0.
Highest recorded here: Samuel #6 in 2004, Ted #150 in 2015.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Samuel #60, Ted #232.
Republic of Ireland · Boys25 shared years, 1999–2025
Samuel held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Ted in 0.
Highest recorded here: Samuel #33 in 2013, Ted #90 in 2021.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Samuel #76, Ted #170.
Northern Ireland · Boys12 shared years, 2012–2024
Samuel held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Ted in 0.
Highest recorded here: Samuel #39 in 2013, Ted #158 in 2021.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Samuel #64, Ted #256.
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 | Samuel | Ted |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Traditionally rendered as 'name of God', though also popularly interpreted as 'God has heard' — sources differ on which root is emphasised. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew, via Greek Samouel | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈsæmjuːəl/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #38 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #170 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 95/100 |
| 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); Ted does not have one recorded yet.
- Samuel has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Ted.
- A meaning is recorded for Samuel; Ted doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO.
How each name got here
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
Ted
Popularity journey
First recorded1958
First recorded at #484 among boys in Norway in 1958 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1999–2025
Highest recorded position: #90 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2021 (recorded 1999–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #476 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys