Boys' name · peaked in 1900
Sam name popularity since 1925
82,334 babies born in the US from 1925 to 2025 were named Sam (1.4% girls, 98.6% boys). Half of them were born in 1955 or earlier, so the typical Sam is about 71 years old in 2026. Sam peaked in 1900 as the #34 name for boys, and it ranked #647 in 2025.
Key facts
- US babies since 1925
- 82,334
- Named Sam, 1925–2025
- Peak year
- 1900
- #34 for boys that year
- In 2025
- #647
- for boys in 2025 (428 babies)
- Girls / boys
- 98.6% boys
- 1,141 girls · 81,193 boys
- Most popular in
- Mississippi
- 3.22× its national share
Peak year is the year Sam made up the largest share of US boys, in records going back to 1880. Typical age is based on births from 1925 on, not on who is living today.
Sam births per year, 1925–2025
The biggest year on this chart was 1925. Measured as a share of all babies, Sam peaked earlier, in 1900.
- Steepest fall: Between 1947 and 1952, Sam's share of baby boys fell by 38%, from 1 in 1,290 to 1 in 2,070.
- Fastest rise: Between 1985 and 1990, it became 1.5× more common, from 1 in 5,310 baby boys to 1 in 3,510.
Shaded on the chart. Both compare Sam's share of all US boys five years apart, counting only years with at least 100 babies named Sam.
Decade by decade
Babies named Sam in each decade, and its rank among boys' names in the middle year of the decade (1935, 1945 … 2025).
| Decade | Girls | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1925–29 | 132 | 9,518 | – |
| 1930s | 146 | 13,350 | #126 |
| 1940s | 105 | 12,351 | #161 |
| 1950s | 119 | 10,052 | #239 |
| 1960s | 131 | 8,657 | #267 |
| 1970s | 69 | 4,516 | #376 |
| 1980s | 72 | 4,038 | #461 |
| 1990s | 43 | 5,437 | #404 |
| 2000s | 96 | 5,752 | #460 |
| 2010s | 126 | 5,034 | #547 |
| 2020–25 | 102 | 2,488 | #647 |
Ranks count every name given to at least 5 boys that year, so they can go past 1,000.
Generation fingerprint
29.6% of babies named Sam from 1925 to 2025 were born in the Silent Generation years (1928–1945). The full split by generation:
Where Sam is most popular
The index compares Sam's share of babies in each state with its share nationwide, 1925–2025 (1.50× = 50% more common). States with at least 300 babies named Sam.
| State | Index | Babies |
|---|---|---|
| Mississippi | 3.22× | 3,059 |
| South Carolina | 2.16× | 2,380 |
| Alabama | 2.06× | 2,860 |
| Louisiana | 1.79× | 2,516 |
| New Mexico | 1.65× | 717 |
Names with a similar story
Of the other 1999 names on this site, these six had the share of babies closest in shape to Sam's from 1925 to 2025, however common each one got. Each line is scaled to its own high; the dashed line is Sam.
Names from the same era
Other common names that peaked within two years of Sam (1900).
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration national and state baby-name data, which covers names given to at least 5 babies of one sex in a year. About the data