NameCensus.
Rare

Sami

A masculine Arabic name meaning "sublime" or "elevated".

Name Census estimates that about 6,317 living Americans carry the first name Sami. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 78.5% of registrations being male. The average person named Sami today is around 23 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Sami births was 2017 (190 babies).

This page is the full Name Census profile for Sami. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.

People living today

6.3K

~ 1 in 54,259 Americans

Peak year

2017

190 babies that year

Average age

23

years old

2024 SSA rank

#1,263

Tracked since 1945

Gender

Gender distribution for Sami

Sami is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 6,508 total registrations, 5,111 (78.5%) were male and 1,397 (21.5%) were female.

79% male
21% female
Male5,111 (78.5%)Female1,397 (21.5%)

Sami as a male name

  • Ranked #1,263 in 2024
  • 156 male births in 2024
  • Peak: 2017 (174 births)

Sami as a female name

  • Ranked #5,910 in 2024
  • 21 female births in 2024
  • Peak: 2005 (39 births)

Popularity

Sami: popularity over time

The SSA tracks Sami from the 1940s through to the 2020s, spanning 9 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 1,680 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Sami remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.

Babies born per year

MaleFemale
0489514319019501960197019801990200020102020

Decades

Sami by decade

The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Sami during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.

DecadeMaleFemaleTotal
1940s01515
1950s214263
1960s89152241
1970s193209402
1980s446194640
1990s8802231,103
2000s1,3072331,540
2010s1,4752051,680
2020s700124824

Geography

Where Samis live

The SSA's state-level files cover 19 states and territories. California, New York, Texas recorded the most babies named Sami, while Tennessee, Missouri, Arizona recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 174 registrations each.

Origin

Meaning and history of Sami

The name Sami has its origins in the Semitic languages and is derived from the Arabic word 'sami', meaning 'elevated' or 'exalted'. It is a name that has been used for centuries across various cultures and regions, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Sami can be found in ancient Mesopotamian texts, where it was used to refer to a tribe or group of people who were known for their skilled craftsmanship and trading prowess. The name gained further prominence during the Islamic Golden Age, when several notable scholars and thinkers bore the name.

Among the most famous historical figures named Sami was Sami al-Majari, a renowned 9th-century Arab mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the fields of trigonometry and spherical geometry. His work laid the foundation for many subsequent advancements in these disciplines.

Another notable Sami was Sami Shalom, a prominent Jewish philosopher and theologian who lived in the 11th century. He was widely respected for his commentaries on various religious texts and his efforts to bridge the gap between different faiths and cultures.

In the realm of literature, Sami Pasha al-Barudi, an Egyptian poet and writer who lived from 1838 to 1904, is remembered for his influential works that celebrated Arabic culture and language. His poems and prose played a crucial role in the revival of Arabic literature during the 19th century.

The name Sami also has a rich history in the world of music and arts. Sami al-Shawa, a Palestinian singer and composer born in 1909, was renowned for his contributions to the development of modern Arabic music. His compositions blended traditional melodies with contemporary styles, earning him widespread acclaim.

Sami Frashëri, an Albanian writer, philosopher, and activist who lived from 1850 to 1904, is considered one of the most influential figures in the Albanian National Awakening movement. His works, which included poetry, plays, and essays, played a pivotal role in shaping Albanian national identity and promoting cultural renaissance.

These are just a few examples of the many notable figures throughout history who have borne the name Sami, each leaving an indelible mark in their respective fields and contributing to the rich tapestry of human culture and intellectual endeavor.

People

Sami + last name combinations

How many people share a full name with Sami as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.

Related

Other names starting with S

Other first names starting with S with a similar number of bearers.

FAQ

Sami: questions and answers

How many people in the U.S. are named Sami?

Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6,317 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Sami going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 54,259 US residents.

Is Sami a common name?

We classify Sami as "Rare". It ranks above 97% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 6,508 babies have been registered with this name.

When was Sami most popular?

The single biggest year for Sami was 2017, when 190 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Sami is about 23 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.

Is Sami a male name?

Yes, 78.5% of people registered as Sami in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.

Where does this data come from?

First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.

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