| Noah | Samuel | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Rest, comfort | God has heard |
| Origin | Hebrew | Hebrew |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | NOH-uh | SAM-yoo-el |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 2024 (20,409) | 2001 (14,813) |
| In 2025 | 20,358 | 8,334 |
| Trend | Near its peak | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Noah | Samuel |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 116,024 | 50,328 |
| 2010s | 183,378 | 108,128 |
| 2000s | 143,533 | 138,647 |
| 1990s | 56,269 | 125,597 |
| 1980s | 12,385 | 73,456 |
| 1970s | 5,688 | 48,099 |
| 1960s | 1,519 | 44,247 |
| 1950s | 1,456 | 53,767 |
| 1940s | 1,523 | 43,129 |
| 1930s | 1,606 | 32,135 |
| 1920s | 2,284 | 43,362 |
| 1910s | 1,734 | 34,166 |
| 1900s | 622 | 8,149 |
| 1890s | 686 | 7,857 |
| 1880s | 895 | 9,129 |
Noah comes from the Hebrew Noach, usually given as “rest” or “comfort.” In the Bible he built the ark and survived the great flood; the name tops the charts for boys today.
Samuel is a Hebrew name read as “God has heard” or “name of God.” The prophet Samuel anointed the first kings of Israel.
Noah is more popular than Samuel today: about 20,358 US babies were given the name Noah in 2025, compared with 8,334 named Samuel.
Noah means Rest, comfort (Hebrew origin), while Samuel means God has heard (Hebrew origin).
In US records, Noah first appears in 1880 and Samuel in 1880, so Noah has the longer recorded history.