Samuel

See also: Sámuel, Samúel, Samuēl, and Samuël

English

Etymology

From Latin Samuēl, from Ancient Greek Σαμουήλ (Samouḗl), from Biblical Hebrew שְׁמוּאֵל (šəmûʾēl, literally “'God has set' or 'God has placed'”).[1][2]

Taken to mean a contraction of popular folk etymology שְׁאִלְתִּיו מֵאֵל (“I have asked/borrowed him from God”) (Modern: Šəʾīltīv mēʾĒl, Tiberian: Šĭʾīltīw mēʾĒl) by way of שָׁאוּל מֵאֵל (“asked/borrowed from God”)[3] from 1 Samuel 1:20.[4]

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈsæmjuːəl/
  • Audio (Southern England):(file)
  • Hyphenation: Sam‧u‧el

Proper noun

Samuel

Books of Samuel on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Samuel on Wikisource.Wikisource

Wiktionary has an Appendix listing books of the Bible
  1. A male given name from Hebrew.
    • 1836 March – 1837 October, Charles Dickens, “Chapter 34”, in The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club, London: Chapman and Hall, […], published 1837, →OCLC:
      It was quite unnecessary to call Samuel Weller; for Samuel Weller stepped briskly into the box the instant his name was pronounced; and placing his hat on the floor, and his arms on the rail, took a bird’s–eye view of the Bar, and a comprehensive survey of the Bench, with a remarkably cheerful and lively aspect. ‘What’s your name, sir?’ inquired the judge. / ‘Sam Weller, my Lord,’ replied that gentleman. / ‘Do you spell it with a “V” or a “W”?’ inquired the judge. / ‘That depends upon the taste and fancy of the speller, my Lord,’ replied Sam; ‘I never had occasion to spell it more than once or twice in my life, but I spells it with a “V.” ’ / Here a voice in the gallery exclaimed aloud, ‘Quite right too, Samivel, quite right. Put it down a “we,” my Lord, put it down a “we.”’
    • 1914, Jack London, The Strength of the Strong/Samuel:
      I went down the dark road between the hawthorn hedges puzzling over the why of like, repeating SAMUEL to myself and aloud and listening to the rolling wonder in its sound that had charmed her soul and led her life in tragic places. SAMUEL! There was a rolling wonder in the sound. Aye, there was!
    • 1947 June 1, “24 FROM THIS AREA IN MARYLAND DEAD; Union City Woman Was Flying to Funeral -- North Bergen Couple on First Air Trip”, in The New York Times‎[3], New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 25 December 2025:
      Samuel Storch, 55, lived in Miami and commuted by air to New York to operate two metalcraft factories with other members of his family.
  3. One of two books of the Old Testament and the Hebrew Tanakh.
    Synonym: (abbreviation) Sam.
  5. (biblical) The primary author and central character of the first book of Samuel.
  6. A surname.

Derived terms

Translations

Statistics

  • According to the 2010 United States Census, Samuel is the 1558th most common surname in the United States, belonging to 23,125 individuals. Samuel is most common among White (23.0%) and Black/African American (53.0%) individuals.[5]

References

  1. ^ Strong, James (1979), “H410”, in Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible
  2. ^ Strong, James (1979), “H7760”, in Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible
  3. ^ Strong, James (1979), “H7592”, in Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible
  4. ^ “Radak on Genesis 5:29:1”, in Sefaria‎[1], A. Schmid, 1842
  5. ^ “Samuel last name popularity, history, and meaning”, in Name Census‎[2], 2010, archived from the original on 31 December 2025

Anagrams

Catalan

Proper noun

Samuel m

  1. a male given name from Hebrew, equivalent to English Samuel
  2. (religion) Samuel

Czech

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [ˈsamuɛl]

Proper noun

Samuel m anim (relational adjective Samuelův)

  1. a male given name from Hebrew, equivalent to English Samuel

Declension

Declension of Samuel (hard masculine animate)
singular plural
nominative Samuel Samuelové
genitive Samuela Samuelů
dative Samuelovi, Samuelu Samuelům
accusative Samuela Samuely
vocative Samueli, Samuele Samuelové
locative Samuelovi, Samuelu Samuelech
instrumental Samuelem Samuely

Danish

Proper noun

Samuel c

  1. (biblical) Samuel
  2. a male given name from Hebrew, equivalent to English Samuel

Dutch

Alternative forms

Pronunciation

  • Audio:(file)

Proper noun

Samuel m

  1. (biblical) Samuel (a Biblical figure; one of two books of the Bible)
  2. a male given name from Hebrew, equivalent to English Samuel

Finnish

Etymology

From Latin Samūēl, from Ancient Greek Σαμουήλ (Samouḗl), from Biblical Hebrew שְׁמוּאֵל (šəmûʾēl, literally “borrowed/asked from God”).[1]

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈsɑmuel/, [ˈs̠ɑ̝mue̞l]
  • Rhymes: -ɑmuel
  • Syllabification(key): Sa‧mu‧el
  • Hyphenation(key): Sa‧mu‧el

Proper noun

Samuel

  1. (biblical) Samuel
  2. a male given name from Biblical Hebrew, equivalent to English Samuel

Declension

Inflection of Samuel (Kotus type 5/risti, no gradation)
nominative Samuel Samuelit
genitive Samuelin Samuelien
partitive Samuelia Samueleja
illative Samueliin Samueleihin
singular plural
nominative Samuel Samuelit
accusative nom. Samuel Samuelit
gen. Samuelin
genitive Samuelin Samuelien
partitive Samuelia Samueleja
inessive Samuelissa Samueleissa
elative Samuelista Samueleista
illative Samueliin Samueleihin
adessive Samuelilla Samueleilla
ablative Samuelilta Samueleilta
allative Samuelille Samueleille
essive Samuelina Samueleina
translative Samueliksi Samueleiksi
abessive Samuelitta Samueleitta
instructive — Samuelein
comitative See the possessive forms below.
Possessive forms of Samuel (Kotus type 5/risti, no gradation)
first-person singular possessor
singular plural
nominative Samuelini Samuelini
accusative nom. Samuelini Samuelini
gen. Samuelini
genitive Samuelini Samuelieni
partitive Samueliani Samuelejani
inessive Samuelissani Samueleissani
elative Samuelistani Samueleistani
illative Samueliini Samueleihini
adessive Samuelillani Samueleillani
ablative Samueliltani Samueleiltani
allative Samuelilleni Samueleilleni
essive Samuelinani Samueleinani
translative Samuelikseni Samueleikseni
abessive Samuelittani Samueleittani
instructive — —
comitative — Samueleineni
second-person singular possessor
singular plural
nominative Samuelisi Samuelisi
accusative nom. Samuelisi Samuelisi
gen. Samuelisi
genitive Samuelisi Samueliesi
partitive Samueliasi Samuelejasi
inessive Samuelissasi Samueleissasi
elative Samuelistasi Samueleistasi
illative Samueliisi Samueleihisi
adessive Samuelillasi Samueleillasi
ablative Samueliltasi Samueleiltasi
allative Samuelillesi Samueleillesi
essive Samuelinasi Samueleinasi
translative Samueliksesi Samueleiksesi
abessive Samuelittasi Samueleittasi
instructive — —
comitative — Samueleinesi
first-person plural possessor
singular plural
nominative Samuelimme Samuelimme
accusative nom. Samuelimme Samuelimme
gen. Samuelimme
genitive Samuelimme Samueliemme
partitive Samueliamme Samuelejamme
inessive Samuelissamme Samueleissamme
elative Samuelistamme Samueleistamme
illative Samueliimme Samueleihimme
adessive Samuelillamme Samueleillamme
ablative Samueliltamme Samueleiltamme
allative Samuelillemme Samueleillemme
essive Samuelinamme Samueleinamme
translative Samueliksemme Samueleiksemme
abessive Samuelittamme Samueleittamme
instructive — —
comitative — Samueleinemme
second-person plural possessor
singular plural
nominative Samuelinne Samuelinne
accusative nom. Samuelinne Samuelinne
gen. Samuelinne
genitive Samuelinne Samuelienne
partitive Samuelianne Samuelejanne
inessive Samuelissanne Samueleissanne
elative Samuelistanne Samueleistanne
illative Samueliinne Samueleihinne
adessive Samuelillanne Samueleillanne
ablative Samueliltanne Samueleiltanne
allative Samuelillenne Samueleillenne
essive Samuelinanne Samueleinanne
translative Samueliksenne Samueleiksenne
abessive Samuelittanne Samueleittanne
instructive — —
comitative — Samueleinenne
third-person possessor
singular plural
nominative Samuelinsa Samuelinsa
accusative nom. Samuelinsa Samuelinsa
gen. Samuelinsa
genitive Samuelinsa Samueliensa
partitive Samueliaan
Samueliansa 		Samuelejaan
Samuelejansa
inessive Samuelissaan
Samuelissansa 		Samueleissaan
Samueleissansa
elative Samuelistaan
Samuelistansa 		Samueleistaan
Samueleistansa
illative Samueliinsa Samueleihinsa
adessive Samuelillaan
Samuelillansa 		Samueleillaan
Samueleillansa
ablative Samueliltaan
Samueliltansa 		Samueleiltaan
Samueleiltansa
allative Samuelilleen
Samuelillensa 		Samueleilleen
Samueleillensa
essive Samuelinaan
Samuelinansa 		Samueleinaan
Samueleinansa
translative Samuelikseen
Samueliksensa 		Samueleikseen
Samueleiksensa
abessive Samuelittaan
Samuelittansa 		Samueleittaan
Samueleittansa
instructive — —
comitative — Samueleineen
Samueleinensa

Statistics

  • Samuel is the 107th most common male given name in Finland, belonging to 6,081 male individuals (and as a middle name to 15,468 more, making it more common as a middle name), and also belongs to 16 female individuals (and as a middle name to 14 more), according to August 2025 data from the Digital and Population Data Services Agency of Finland.

References

  1. ^ Kustaa Vilkuna (2005) [1976], Pirjo Mikkonen, editor, Etunimet, 4th edition, Helsinki: Otava, published 2011, →ISBN

French

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /sa.mɥɛl/
  • Rhymes: -ɥɛl

Proper noun

Samuel m

  1. (biblical) Samuel
  2. a male given name from Hebrew, equivalent to English Samuel

Anagrams

German

Pronunciation

Proper noun

Samuel m

  1. (biblical) Samuel
  2. a male given name from Biblical Hebrew, equivalent to English Samuel
  • Sämi in eastern Switzerland

Latin

Etymology

Etymology tree
Biblical Hebrew שְׁמוּאֵל (šəmūʾḗl)
Ancient Greek Σαμουήλ (Samouḗl)bor.
Latin Samūēl

    Borrowed from Ancient Greek Σαμουήλ (Samouḗl), from Biblical Hebrew שְׁמוּאֵל (šəmūʾḗl).

    Pronunciation

    Proper noun

    Samūēl m sg (genitive Samūēl or Samūēlis); indeclinable, variously declined, third declension

    1. Samuel

    Declension

    Indeclinable noun or third-declension noun, singular only.

    singular
    nominative Samūēl
    genitive Samūēl
    Samūēlis
    dative Samūēl
    Samūēlī
    accusative Samūēl
    Samūēlem
    ablative Samūēl
    Samūēle
    vocative Samūēl

    Descendants

    • English: Samuel
    • French: Samuel
    • Italian: Samuele
    • Portuguese: Samuel
    • Spanish: Samuel
    • Welsh: Samuel

    Norwegian Bokmål

    Proper noun

    Samuel m

    1. (biblical) Samuel
    2. a male given name from Hebrew, equivalent to English Samuel

    Norwegian Nynorsk

    Proper noun

    Samuel m

    1. (biblical) Samuel
    2. a male given name from Hebrew, equivalent to English Samuel

    Polish

    Etymology

    Etymology tree
    Biblical Hebrew שְׁמוּאֵל (šəmūʾḗl)
    Ancient Greek Σαμουήλ (Samouḗl)bor.
    Latin Samuellbor.
    Polish Samuel

      Learned borrowing from Latin Samuel, borrowed from Ancient Greek Σαμουήλ (Samouḗl), from Biblical Hebrew שְׁמוּאֵל (šəmūʾḗl).

      Pronunciation

      • IPA(key): /saˈmu.ɛl/
      • Audio:(file)
      • Rhymes: -uɛl
      • Syllabification: Sa‧mu‧el

      Proper noun

      Samuel m pers

      1. (biblical) Samuel (Biblical character)
      2. a male given name, equivalent to English Samuel

      Declension

      Declension of Samuel
      singular plural
      nominative Samuel Samuele, Samuelowie
      genitive Samuela Samuelów
      dative Samuelowi Samuelom
      accusative Samuela Samuelów
      instrumental Samuelem Samuelami
      locative Samuelu Samuelach
      vocative Samuelu Samuele, Samuelowie

      Further reading

      • “Samuel”, in Polish dictionaries at PWN‎[4] (in Polish)

      Portuguese

      Pronunciation

      • (Brazil) IPA(key): /sa.muˈɛw/ [sa.muˈɛʊ̯], (faster) /saˈmwɛw/ [saˈmwɛʊ̯]
       
      • (Portugal) IPA(key): /sɐˈmwɛl/ [sɐˈmwɛɫ]
        • (Southern Portugal) IPA(key): /sɐˈmwɛ.li/

      • Rhymes: (Portugal) -ɛl, (Brazil) -ɛw
      • Hyphenation: Sa‧mu‧el

      Proper noun

      Samuel m (plural Samuéis)

      1. a male given name from Hebrew, equivalent to English Samuel
      2. (biblical) Samuel (one of two books of the Bible)
      3. (biblical) Samuel (a leader of ancient Israel)

      Slovak

      Pronunciation

      • IPA(key): /samuel/, [ˈsamuel]
      • Rhymes: -uel
      • Hyphenation: Sa‧mu‧el

      Proper noun

      Samuel m pers (diminutive Samo or Samko)

      1. a male given name from Hebrew, equivalent to English Samuel
      2. a surname
      3. (biblical) Samuel (one of two books of the Bible)
      4. (biblical) Samuel (a leader of ancient Israel)

      Declension

      Declension of Samuel
      (pattern chlap)
      singularplural
      nominativeSamuelSamuelovia
      genitiveSamuelaSamuelov
      dativeSamueloviSamuelom
      accusativeSamuelaSamuelov
      locativeSamueloviSamueloch
      instrumentalSamuelomSamuelmi

      Further reading

      • “Samuel”, in Slovníkový portál Jazykovedného ústavu Ľ. Štúra SAV [Dictionary portal of the Ľ. Štúr Institute of Linguistics, Slovak Academy of Science] (in Slovak), https://slovnik.juls.savba.sk, 2003–2026

      Spanish

      Pronunciation

      • IPA(key): /saˈmwel/ [saˈmwel]
      • Rhymes: -el
      • Syllabification: Sa‧muel

      Proper noun

      Samuel m

      1. (biblical) Samuel
      2. a male given name from Biblical Hebrew, equivalent to English Samuel

      Swedish

      Pronunciation

      • Audio:(file)

      Proper noun

      Samuel c (genitive Samuels)

      1. (biblical) Samuel
      2. a male given name from Hebrew, equivalent to English Samuel

      Derived terms

      (patronyms): Samuelsdotter (“Samuel’s daughter, daughter of Samuel”), Samuelsson (“Samuel’s son, son of Samuel”)

      Tagalog

      Etymology

        Borrowed from Spanish Samuel.

        Pronunciation

        • (Standard Tagalog) IPA(key): /samˈwel/ [sɐmˈwɛl]
        • Rhymes: -el
        • Syllabification: Sam‧uel

        Proper noun

        Samuél (Baybayin spelling ᜐᜋ᜔ᜏᜒᜎ᜔)

        1. (biblical) Samuel
        2. a male given name from Spanish

        Welsh

        Etymology

        From Late Latin Samuēl, from Ancient Greek Σαμουήλ (Samouḗl), from Biblical Hebrew שְׁמוּאֵל (šəmûʾēl, literally “name of God”).

        Pronunciation

        Proper noun

        Samuel m (not mutable)

        1. (biblical) Samuel
        2. a male given name, equivalent to English Samuel

        Derived terms

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