Namewise

Samuel vs William

Samuel and Williamcompared 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 2025, Samuel was ranked #75 and William #3 among boys in Norway.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Boys

    In 2025, Samuel was ranked #38 and William #11 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.

  • New Zealand · Boys

    In 2023, Samuel was ranked #50 and William #14 among boys in New Zealand.

  • England and Wales · Boys

    In 2025, Samuel was ranked #66 and William #25 among boys in England and Wales.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys

    In 2024, Samuel was ranked #64 and William #64 among boys in Northern Ireland.

  • Scotland · Boys

    In 2024, Samuel was ranked #69 and William #66 among boys in Scotland.

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys

    In 2025, Samuel was ranked #76 and William #73 among boys in Republic of Ireland.

Samuel and William over time

Samuel and William appear together in 6 published lists, across 300 years of shared records. William held the stronger position in more years in 5 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.

Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 3 of the lists they share.

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, William moved ahead of Samuel in England and Wales · Boys — #7 and #8 the year before became #8 and #7.

  • Repeatedly exchanged positions

    Samuel and William changed places 8 times in Northern Ireland · Boys between 1997 and 2024, ending at #64 and #64.

  • Closest over the longest run

    Across 30 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Samuel and William averaged 13.1 places apart, ending at #66 and #25.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Samuel and William were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #66 and #25.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Samuel #6 in 2004, William #7 in 2006.

List by list

  • Norway · Boys73 shared years, 1946–2025

    Samuel held the stronger position in 7 of those years, William in 66.

    Highest recorded here: Samuel #44 in 2019, William #1 in 2012.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Samuel #75, William #3.

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025

    Samuel held the stronger position in 18 of those years, William in 44.

    Highest recorded here: Samuel #33 in 2013, William #8 in 1964.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Samuel #76, William #73.

  • New Zealand · Boys54 shared years, 1967–2023

    Samuel held the stronger position in 27 of those years, William in 27.

    Highest recorded here: Samuel #3 in 1998, William #3 in 2008.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2023: Samuel #50, William #14.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Boys53 shared years, 1972–2025

    Samuel held the stronger position in 12 of those years, William in 41.

    Highest recorded here: Samuel #10 in 2003, William #1 in 2009.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Samuel #38, William #11.

  • England and Wales · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025

    Samuel held the stronger position in 10 of those years, William in 20.

    Highest recorded here: Samuel #6 in 2004, William #7 in 2006.

    The order changed in 2006: William moved ahead. In 2005 they stood at #7 and #8; by 2006 that had become #8 and #7.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Samuel #66, William #25.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024

    Samuel held the stronger position in 7 of those years, William in 19.

    Highest recorded here: Samuel #25 in 2005, William #26 in 1997.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Samuel #64, William #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.

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.

Other comparisons involving William

Pairs where William shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other pairs with the same kind of relationship

Pairs that qualify under the same rule as this one — one moved ahead of the other.

All one moved ahead of the other→

Other pairs from England and Wales lists

Pairs measured inside England and Wales's own published lists, where this pair's strongest relationship is also recorded. Positions in these lists are not comparable with another registrar's.

England and Wales overview→

Other pairs ranked together in the 2020s

Pairs both ranked in the same published list at some point between 2020 and 2029.

The 2020s across all registrars→

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Samuel, William
FieldSamuelWilliam
Record typeEditorially researched profileEditorially researched profile
Gender usagemalemale
MeaningTraditionally rendered as 'name of God', though also popularly interpreted as 'God has heard' — sources differ on which root is emphasised.Commonly interpreted as 'resolute protector' or 'will helmet', combining the ideas of desire/will and protection.
OriginBiblical Hebrew, via Greek SamouelGermanic (Old Frankish/Old High German Willehelm)
Pronunciation/ˈsæmjuːəl//ˈwɪljəm/
Syllables22
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ
Most recent popularity observationNew South Wales, Australia · Boys #38 (2025)Norway · Boys #3 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)90/10090/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)88/10082/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Samuel is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew, via Greek Samouel origin, while William is recorded with a Germanic (Old Frankish/Old High German Willehelm) origin.
  • Samuel and William both have 2 syllables.
  • Samuel's recorded meaning differs from William'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

  1. 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

  2. Highest recorded1967–2023

    Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in New Zealand, in 1998 (recorded 1967–2023).

    New Zealand · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #66 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Boys

William

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1945

    First recorded at #277 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Norway · Boys

  2. Highest recorded1952–2025

    Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2009 (recorded 1952–2025).

    New South Wales, Australia · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #25 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Boys