| Samuel | Elijah | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | God has heard | Yahweh is my God |
| Origin | Hebrew | Hebrew |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | SAM-yoo-el | ee-LY-juh |
| Syllables | 3 | 3 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 2001 (14,813) | 2011 (14,001) |
| In 2025 | 8,334 | 11,111 |
| Trend | Declining | Steady |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Samuel | Elijah |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 50,328 | 72,049 |
| 2010s | 108,128 | 137,147 |
| 2000s | 138,647 | 110,421 |
| 1990s | 125,597 | 34,652 |
| 1980s | 73,456 | 7,567 |
| 1970s | 48,099 | 3,400 |
| 1960s | 44,247 | 1,524 |
| 1950s | 53,767 | 2,314 |
| 1940s | 43,129 | 2,399 |
| 1930s | 32,135 | 2,135 |
| 1920s | 43,362 | 2,755 |
| 1910s | 34,166 | 1,963 |
| 1900s | 8,149 | 725 |
| 1890s | 7,857 | 704 |
| 1880s | 9,129 | 856 |
Samuel is a Hebrew name read as “God has heard” or “name of God.” The prophet Samuel anointed the first kings of Israel.
Elijah is from the Hebrew Eliyyahu, “Yahweh is my God.” The prophet Elijah is a major figure in the Hebrew Bible.
Elijah is more popular than Samuel today: about 11,111 US babies were given the name Elijah in 2025, compared with 8,334 named Samuel.
Samuel means God has heard (Hebrew origin), while Elijah means Yahweh is my God (Hebrew origin).
In US records, Samuel first appears in 1880 and Elijah in 1880, so Samuel has the longer recorded history.