Sam Name Popularity

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How popular is Sam?

In 2018 the less frequently given name Sam, ranked the 603rd Most Popular Boys Name in the United States.

Presently one of the top 1000 most popular, Sam has been a top 1000 placer since the Social Security Administration began keeping records in 1880.

Its highest popularity RANKING of #30 was reached in 1882.

Nonetheless, the name was given to the greatest number of children in 1918 with 2,505 occurrences.

The least number of children given the name Sam was 348 in 1985.

Approximately during the years 1897-1900, 1909-1915, 1956-1959, and 1984-1990, the name Sam took a definitive turn upwards in popularity whereas 1947-1950 were years of successive downward movement.

For a number of years, the name Sam has remained mostly unchanged in popularity. , continuing the trend, the number of children named Sam lately has remained about the same.

What does the future hold for the popularity of Sam?

Currently, the name is at a very low point when compared to its most popular year.

The name Sam still has a solid footing and will probably continue to plateu at its present level but may also begin to make a more decisive move up or down.

*Mouse over the charts or scroll down to the table for data details.

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for Percentages.

		Sam (Girl)		Sam (Boy)
Year	%	No. of Babies Given Name	Popul. Rank	No. of Babies Given Name	Popul. Rank
2018		13	8,465	451	603
2017		12	9,220	521	540
2016		17	7,160	476	581
2015		12	9,377	522	546
2014		12	9,425	520	536
2013		14	8,490	476	554
2012		5	19,030	510	518
2011		14	8,537	545	482
2010		12	9,688	550	472
2009		15	8,378	580	471
2008		21	6,519	605	460
2007		9	12,465	612	453
2006		16	7,783	585	462
2005		12	9,340	556	460
2004		7	13,902	593	438
2003		< 5	--	577	436
2002		< 5	--	559	442
2001		10	9,952	553	439
2000		6	14,661	514	461
1999		< 5	--	497	459
1998		< 5	--	490	459
1997		5	15,630	484	457
1996		8	10,340	527	428
1995		< 5	--	569	404
1994		< 5	--	554	413
1993		11	7,935	561	415
1992		< 5	--	575	400
1991		7	11,234	590	384
1990		5	14,741	584	396
1989		5	14,033	503	415
1988		6	11,444	479	413
1987		6	10,963	481	394
1986		8	8,328	380	444
1985		11	6,357	348	461
1984		6	10,078	364	444
1983		11	6,135	361	433
1982		7	8,980	374	433
1981		< 5	--	383	427
1980		12	5,825	367	429
1979		7	8,770	377	408
1978		7	8,331	416	380
1977		5	10,891	356	418
1976		< 5	--	397	388
1975		9	6,347	420	377
1974		6	8,490	437	366
1973		6	8,184	477	351
1972		6	8,026	497	346
1971		9	5,898	541	341
1970		13	4,438	599	321
1969		8	5,859	584	318
1968		8	5,535	566	320
1967		11	4,244	608	299
1966		14	3,511	678	286
1965		16	3,238	774	267
1964		9	4,931	956	248
1963		9	4,833	1,017	236
1962		23	2,586	1,070	236
1961		16	3,297	1,193	229
1960		17	3,081	1,210	228
1959		13	3,587	1,296	214
1958		13	3,515	1,178	224
1957		10	4,162	1,071	231
1956		11	3,867	948	238
1955		11	3,747	876	237
1954		14	3,129	872	238
1953		12	3,443	880	229
1952		10	3,749	941	215
1951		15	2,791	1,035	201
1950		10	3,628	955	207
1949		8	4,182	1,103	188
1948		10	3,560	1,239	176
1947		8	4,287	1,416	169
1946		8	3,937	1,301	164
1945		7	3,967	1,137	160
1944		10	3,109	1,213	157
1943		15	2,432	1,323	153
1942		17	2,190	1,280	152
1941		12	2,648	1,191	150
1940		10	2,926	1,146	150
1939		9	3,112	1,121	145
1938		15	2,206	1,161	141
1937		13	2,435	1,214	132
1936		19	1,790	1,237	131
1935		10	2,901	1,363	126
1934		7	3,751	1,322	127
1933		18	1,894	1,351	121
1932		18	1,940	1,454	120
1931		20	1,795	1,458	118
1930		17	2,093	1,669	110
1929		30	1,414	1,729	105
1928		32	1,392	1,759	109
1927		23	1,818	1,905	102
1926		22	1,874	2,031	92
1925		25	1,738	2,093	91
1924		30	1,563	2,121	91
1923		24	1,775	2,205	89
1922		28	1,607	2,350	84
1921		26	1,718	2,366	85
1920		23	1,804	2,283	84
1919		36	1,295	2,384	75
1918		23	1,745	2,505	75
1917		14	2,408	2,455	72
1916		23	1,626	2,313	74
1915		27	1,395	2,339	68
1914		18	1,595	1,880	67
1913		23	1,170	1,527	65
1912		13	1,611	1,325	63
1911		6	2,422	928	47
1910		13	1,326	888	40
1909		8	1,740	700	44
1908		5	2,381	644	46
1907		8	1,622	631	43
1906		6	1,921	552	43
1905		8	1,518	620	40
1904		5	2,132	603	40
1903		< 5	--	552	41
1902		7	1,570	559	41
1901		7	1,447	479	41
1900		11	1,215	821	34
1899		< 5	--	469	44
1898		< 5	--	543	42
1897		5	1,765	478	45
1896		< 5	--	518	43
1895		5	1,777	487	43
1894		8	1,221	507	43
1893		7	1,269	481	43
1892		< 5	--	551	38
1891		< 5	--	418	43
1890		7	1,185	489	41
1889		6	1,255	486	40
1888		5	1,450	607	34
1887		< 5	--	463	39
1886		< 5	--	519	34
1885		< 5	--	492	35
1884		< 5	--	533	33
1883		< 5	--	476	33
1882		< 5	--	555	30
1881		< 5	--	481	32
1880		< 5	--	457	36

United States name popularity data is provided by the Social Security Administration and is based on Social Security card applications.

Data for a given year is not made available until well into the next year.

Data reflects what was recorded and has not been edited for errors, so for example the gender associated with a name may be incorrect.

The more babies that are given a particular name, the higher the popularity ranking. If multiple names have the same usage, the tie is broken by assigning popularity rank in alphabetical order. Therefore in the case of names with fewer occurrences, names with the same number of occurrences may have vastly different rankings because they will be interranked alphabetically.

To safeguard privacy, the SSA does not include names with less than 5 occurrences.

Please note, we update the data each May when the SSA releases new figures. All data changes at that time, including previous years, which will change minutely based on new information.