Samuel vs Thomas
Samuel and Thomascompared 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, Samuel was ranked #64 and Thomas #11 among boys in Northern Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Samuel was ranked #38 and Thomas #13 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Samuel was ranked #76 and Thomas #16 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Samuel was ranked #50 and Thomas #18 among boys in New Zealand.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Samuel was ranked #69 and Thomas #20 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Samuel was ranked #60 and Thomas #26 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Samuel was ranked #75 and Thomas #106 among boys in Norway.
Samuel and Thomas over time
Samuel and Thomas appear together in 6 published lists, across 299 years of shared records. Thomas held the stronger position in more years in 5 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.
Thomas reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, Samuel in 2. 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 2016, Samuel moved ahead of Thomas in Norway · Boys — #71 and #60 the year before became #53 and #89.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Samuel and Thomas changed places 6 times in New South Wales, Australia · Boys between 1972 and 2025, ending at #38 and #13.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Samuel and Thomas averaged 14.2 places apart, ending at #60 and #26.
- Longest-running competitions
Samuel and Thomas were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 53 years, from 1972 to 2025, ending at #38 and #13.
List by list
Norway · Boys73 shared years, 1946–2025
Samuel held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Thomas in 62.
Highest recorded here: Samuel #44 in 2019, Thomas #1 in 1974.
The order changed in 2016: Samuel moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #71 and #60; by 2016 that had become #53 and #89.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Samuel #75, Thomas #106.
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
Samuel held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Thomas in 62.
Highest recorded here: Samuel #33 in 2013, Thomas #5 in 1965.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Samuel #76, Thomas #16.
New Zealand · Boys54 shared years, 1967–2023
Samuel held the stronger position in 39 of those years, Thomas in 15.
Highest recorded here: Samuel #3 in 1998, Thomas #4 in 2001.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Samuel #50, Thomas #18.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys53 shared years, 1972–2025
Samuel held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Thomas in 49.
Highest recorded here: Samuel #10 in 2003, Thomas #3 in 2000.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Samuel #38, Thomas #13.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Samuel held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Thomas in 29.
Highest recorded here: Samuel #6 in 2004, Thomas #2 in 1998.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Samuel #60, Thomas #26.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Samuel held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Thomas in 28.
Highest recorded here: Samuel #25 in 2005, Thomas #6 in 2020.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Samuel #64, Thomas #11.
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 | Thomas |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| 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. | The Greek form of the Aramaic name meaning 'twin'. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew, via Greek Samouel | Aramaic, via Greek |
| Pronunciation | /ˈsæmjuːəl/ | /ˈtɑməs/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| 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, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #38 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #13 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Samuel is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew, via Greek Samouel origin, while Thomas is recorded with a Aramaic, via Greek origin.
- Samuel and Thomas both have 2 syllables.
- Samuel's recorded meaning differs from Thomas's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
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
Thomas
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #177 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in Norway, in 1974 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #13 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys