Samuel

Samuel meaning

Samuel is a Christian and international boy's name of Hebrew origin.

Heard of God; from shama, to hear, and El

Also used to mean: god has heard, name of god

Samuel comes from the Hebrew Shĕmūʾēl (שְׁמוּאֵל). Strong's builds it from a passive form of shāmaʿ, "to hear", and ʾēl, "God", giving "heard of God", which name lists usually word as "God has heard". Others read it as shēm, "name", plus ʾēl, so "name of God", and Brown-Driver-Briggs records several such views, so the exact sense is debated. In 1 Samuel his mother Hannah prays for a son and dedicates him to God's service; he grows up at Shiloh under the priest Eli and becomes Israel's prophet and judge. Samuel anoints Saul as king and later anoints the young David, and all Israel mourns him at his death.

Source: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890), Hebrew and Chaldee Dictionary, H8050 · entry Shemuw'el · See the entry · checked 25 Oct 2026

References: Strong's H8050, Shemuw'el, with Brown-Driver-Briggs

Famous namesakes

• Samuel, the prophet who anointed Saul and David

Popularity abroad

• #18 United States, boys 2025 (down 1 from 17 in 2024)
  US Social Security Administration
• #66 England and Wales, boys 2025
  Office for National Statistics

Official birth registrations. India publishes no national name statistics.

Related names

Also meaning god

Also starting with Sam-

More names of Hebrew origin

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