| Bilal | Sami | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | moisture, freshness | elevated, sublime |
| Origin | arabic | arabic |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | bi-LAAL | SAA-mee |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 0 | 1955 |
| Peak year | 2018 (195) | 2025 (193) |
| In 2025 | 0 | 193 |
| Trend | Steady | Near its peak |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Bilal | Sami |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 981 | 893 |
| 2010s | 1,580 | 1,475 |
| 2000s | 1,419 | 1,307 |
| 1990s | 1,071 | 880 |
| 1980s | 553 | 446 |
| 1970s | 236 | 193 |
| 1960s | 18 | 88 |
| 1950s | 0 | 21 |
From the root b-l-l (ب-ل-ل, 'to moisten, to wet'), understood as 'moisture, wetting, freshness'. Famously borne by Bilal ibn Rabah, the Abyssinian companion of the Prophet and Islam's first muezzin.
From the root s-m-w (س-م-و, 'to be high, elevated'), meaning 'elevated, lofty, sublime, eminent'. Note the distinct name Sami' (سميع, 'all-hearing'), which comes from a different root (s-m-'); the two are easily confused in transliteration.
Sami is more popular than Bilal today: about 193 US babies were given the name Sami in 2025, compared with 0 named Bilal.
Bilal means moisture, freshness (arabic origin), while Sami means elevated, sublime (arabic origin).
In US records, Bilal first appears in 0 and Sami in 1955, so Bilal has the longer recorded history.