Shemuel
A masculine name of Hebrew origin meaning "name of God".
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the first name Shemuel. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Shemuel today is around 14 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Shemuel births was 2014 (11 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Shemuel. 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
126
~ 1 in 2,720,273 Americans
Peak year
2014
11 babies that year
Average age
14
years old
2024 SSA rank
#13,877
Tracked since 1993
Popularity
Shemuel: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Shemuel from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 60 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Shemuel remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Shemuel 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 Shemuel during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Shemuel
The name Shemuel has its origins in the Hebrew language and Hebrew culture. It is a variation of the biblical name Samuel, which is derived from the Hebrew words "shem" meaning "name" and "el" meaning "God." The combination of these two words suggests the meaning "name of God" or "God has heard."
In the Old Testament of the Bible, Samuel was a prominent prophet and judge of ancient Israel. He is considered one of the most important figures in the history of the Hebrew people, as he played a crucial role in the establishment of the monarchy by anointing both Saul and David as kings of Israel.
The earliest recorded use of the name Shemuel can be traced back to ancient Hebrew texts, such as the Book of Samuel in the Bible. While the exact spelling may have varied over time, the name has maintained its roots in the Hebrew language and Jewish tradition.
One of the earliest notable figures with the name Shemuel was Rabbi Shemuel Yitzchaki, also known as Rashi (1040-1105 CE), a renowned medieval French rabbi and commentator on the Torah and Talmud. His works had a profound impact on the study and understanding of Jewish texts for generations to come.
Another prominent figure with the name Shemuel was Shemuel HaNagid (993-1056 CE), a Jewish poet, scholar, and statesman who served as the vizier (prime minister) of the Berber Muslim kingdom of Granada in present-day Spain. He was a highly influential figure in both the Jewish and Muslim communities of his time.
In the 16th century, Shemuel Yavne'eli (1508-1593) was a renowned Hebrew grammarian and lexicographer, known for his work on the Hebrew language and its grammar rules. His contributions helped to standardize the study and understanding of the Hebrew language.
In the 19th century, Shemuel Mohilever (1824-1898) was a prominent rabbi and Jewish leader who played a significant role in the establishment of the Musar movement, which emphasized ethical and spiritual development within Judaism.
More recently, Shemuel Yosef Agnon (1888-1970) was a notable Israeli writer and Nobel laureate in literature. He is considered one of the most influential figures in modern Hebrew literature and is widely acclaimed for his works that explored Jewish tradition and the human experience.
While the name Shemuel has its roots in the Hebrew language and Jewish culture, it has gained popularity and recognition across various societies and cultures over the centuries, with many individuals bearing this name leaving their mark on history.
People
Shemuel + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Shemuel 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
Shemuel: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Shemuel?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 126 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Shemuel 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 2,720,273 US residents.
Is Shemuel a common name?
We classify Shemuel as "Very Rare". It ranks above 67.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 127 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Shemuel most popular?
The single biggest year for Shemuel was 2014, when 11 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Shemuel is about 14 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Shemuel in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Shemuel a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Shemuel 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.
Is Shemuel still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Shemuel in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Shemuel can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have Shemuel as a first name?
If you just want to know how many Americans are named Shemuel, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.