A 1910s favorite, climbing again.
Popularity of Samiel since 1914
Babies named Samiel per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 2022, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Samiel's real moment was 1914.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1910s | 10 |
| 1920s | 0 |
| 1930s | 0 |
| 1940s | 0 |
| 1950s | 0 |
| 1960s | 0 |
| 1970s | 0 |
| 1980s | 8 |
| 1990s | 7 |
| 2000s | 28 |
| 2010s | 20 |
| 2020s | 48 |
Meaning & origin
Samiel is a rare name with an uncertain etymology, possibly a variant of Samuel or inspired by a character in German opera. According to Social Security data, it first appeared in U.S. birth records in 1914, when 5 boys were given the name, ranking 8,910th. That year remains its peak. After a long period of disuse, the name has been rising again since 2017, though it remains exceedingly rare, with a birth rate of 1 in 213,510 in the latest year. Top states for the name are not recorded due to low frequency. Its revival suggests a growing interest in uncommon, vintage names with literary or musical associations.
Samiel is likely a variant of Samuel, derived from the Hebrew name Shemu'el, meaning 'name of God' or 'God has heard'. Alternatively, it may have been influenced by the character Samiel from Carl Maria von Weber's opera Der Freischütz (1821), where it is the name of a demonic huntsman. The name has seen occasional use in English-speaking countries, particularly in the early 20th century.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Sam
Sibling names for Samiel
Names that share Samiel's style, for a brother or sister.
