Fun Facts About the Name Shmuel
- More than 5 thousand babies named Shmuel: U.S. records list 5,965 babies given the name Shmuel from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Shmuel Mean?
Shmuel is the Hebrew form of the name Samuel. It is most commonly understood to mean 'God has heard,' and it comes from the Hebrew language.
The name is spelled שְׁמוּאֵל in Hebrew. One traditional explanation connects the first element to the root shama ('to hear') and the second to El ('God'), yielding 'God has heard.' Another explanation reads the first element as shem ('name'), giving 'name of God' or 'his name is God.' The exact derivation is disputed, and the biblical narrative in 1 Samuel 1:20 links the name to the root sha'al ('to ask'), because Hannah asked God for a son; that wordplay is not a strict etymology. The English form Samuel comes from Shmuel through Greek Σαμουήλ and Latin Samuhel.
Shmuel Name History & Origins
Shmuel is the Hebrew name of the prophet Samuel, whose story is told in the biblical books of 1 and 2 Samuel. According to the narrative, he was born to Hannah and Elkanah, served as a judge and prophet, and anointed both Saul and David as king.
The Hebrew form שְׁמוּאֵל was transliterated into Greek as Σαμουήλ in the Septuagint and into Latin as Samuhel, which became Samuel in English. The Hebrew form Shmuel remained in use among Jewish communities. A notable later bearer was the Babylonian amora Shmuel, often called Samuel of Nehardea, a leading rabbinic scholar. In Yiddish-speaking communities, the name was common and often shortened to Shmulik or Shmuli. In Modern Hebrew, Shmuel is a standard given name, used in Israel and by Jewish families elsewhere, while the related English form Samuel is used more broadly in the English-speaking world.
How Popular is the Name Shmuel?
Shmuel recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2025. Its best rank was #917 in 2022.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #923 | 256 | 0.0150% |
| 2024 | #980 | 229 | 0.0134% |
| 2023 | #927 | 246 | 0.0144% |
| 2022 | #917 | 253 | 0.0145% |
| 2021 | #1,047 | 205 | 0.0117% |
| 2020 | #1,029 | 200 | 0.0116% |
| 2019 | #1,026 | 203 | 0.0113% |
| 2018 | #1,032 | 198 | 0.0109% |
| 2017 | #942 | 222 | 0.0120% |
| 2016 | #1,005 | 204 | 0.0108% |
| 2015 | #1,022 | 199 | 0.0104% |
| 2014 | #1,150 | 165 | 0.0086% |
| 2013 | #1,034 | 187 | 0.0099% |
| 2012 | #1,215 | 147 | 0.0078% |
| 2011 | #1,234 | 142 | 0.0075% |
| 2010 | #1,058 | 182 | 0.0095% |
| 2009 | #1,301 | 135 | 0.0068% |
| 2008 | #1,239 | 141 | 0.0069% |
| 2007 | #1,252 | 141 | 0.0068% |
| 2006 | #1,299 | 128 | 0.0062% |
| 2005 | #1,388 | 108 | 0.0054% |
| 2004 | #1,355 | 108 | 0.0054% |
| 2003 | #1,463 | 90 | 0.0046% |
| 2002 | #1,412 | 93 | 0.0048% |
| 2001 | #1,348 | 96 | 0.0049% |
| 2000 | #1,476 | 84 | 0.0043% |
| 1999 | #1,280 | 96 | 0.0050% |
| 1998 | #1,369 | 86 | 0.0045% |
| 1997 | #1,505 | 70 | 0.0037% |
| 1996 | #1,550 | 65 | 0.0034% |
| 1995 | #1,325 | 79 | 0.0041% |
| 1994 | #1,529 | 62 | 0.0032% |
| 1993 | #1,319 | 75 | 0.0038% |
| 1992 | #1,348 | 71 | 0.0036% |
| 1991 | #1,428 | 64 | 0.0032% |
| 1990 | #1,545 | 55 | 0.0027% |
| 1989 | #1,410 | 61 | 0.0030% |
| 1988 | #1,305 | 63 | 0.0033% |
| 1987 | #1,135 | 72 | 0.0039% |
| 1986 | #1,454 | 48 | 0.0026% |
| 1985 | #1,410 | 49 | 0.0027% |
| 1984 | #1,248 | 55 | 0.0030% |
| 1983 | #1,293 | 52 | 0.0029% |
| 1982 | #1,483 | 43 | 0.0024% |
| 1981 | #1,453 | 44 | 0.0025% |
| 1980 | #1,799 | 32 | 0.0018% |
| 1979 | #1,624 | 36 | 0.0021% |
| 1978 | #1,787 | 30 | 0.0018% |
| 1977 | #2,001 | 25 | 0.0015% |
| 1976 | #1,923 | 26 | 0.0017% |
| 1975 | #1,654 | 31 | 0.0020% |
| 1974 | #1,786 | 27 | 0.0017% |
| 1973 | #2,995 | 12 | 0.0008% |
| 1972 | #2,147 | 19 | 0.0012% |
| 1971 | #2,266 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 1970 | #2,047 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 1969 | #3,035 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1968 | #3,073 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1967 | #2,018 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1966 | #2,954 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1965 | #2,753 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1964 | #3,974 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1963 | #3,286 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1962 | #3,586 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 1961 | #3,319 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1960 | #2,666 | 11 | 0.0005% |
| 1958 | #4,427 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1955 | #4,320 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1954 | #3,761 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1953 | #3,389 | 7 | 0.0004% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Shmuel Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are spiritually intense and can sting or charm. Your name brings love and new starts into life and attracts money. In business, you are the creator and promoter of original ideas and usually enjoy considerable financial success. Emergencies may raise your intuitive abilities in order to resolve conflict or situation. You become very creative under the pressure, and have quite original ideas to make the best out of it.
You find the best contentment in life when you own your own home and provide well for your family and loved ones. You have a great sense of responsibility and duty. You are comforting, appreciative and affectionate. Your obligation in life is to hold justice and truth, and if you follow the Law, you can find the great happiness and satisfaction.
✦ Shmuel's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Shmuel's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.