Samuel

From Latin Samūēl, from Ancient Greek Σαμουήλ (Samouḗl), from Biblical Hebrew שְׁמוּאֵל (šəmûʾēl, literally “name of God”) . It is also taken to mean "heard by God" or "asked of God."

According to 1 Samuel 1:20, the Biblical judge and prophet was given this name due to its similarity to a Hebrew word that means "heard by God."

• IPA^(key): /ˈsæmjuəl/

• Audio (Southern England):

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• Hyphenation: Sam‧u‧el

Samuel

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!

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.
   • 1611, The Holy Bible,  (King James Version), London: Robert Barker, , →OCLC, 1 Samuel 1:20:

     Wherefore it came to pass, when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived, that she bare a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him of the LORD.

6. A surname.

• (pet forms): Sam, Sammie, Sammy
• Samantha (this etymology is speculative)

• 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.

• Etymology, origin, and meaning of the name Samuel

• Alemus, Muelas, amelus, museal, salume, ulemas

Catalan Wikipedia has an article on:

Samuel

Wikipedia ^ca

Samuel m

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

Czech Wikipedia has an article on:

Samuel

Wikipedia ^cs

• IPA^(key):

Samuel m anim (related adjective Samuelův)

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

Danish Wikipedia has an article on:

Samuel

Wikipedia ^da

Samuel c

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

Dutch Wikipedia has an article on:

Samuel

Wikipedia ^nl

• Samuël

• Audio:

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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 Wikipedia has an article on:

Samuel

Wikipedia ^fi

From Latin Samūēl, from Ancient Greek Σαμουήλ (Samouḗl), from Biblical Hebrew שְׁמוּאֵל (šəmûʾēl).

• IPA^(key): /ˈsɑmuel/,
• Rhymes: -ɑmuel
• Hyphenation^(key): Sa‧mu‧el

Samuel

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

• (given names): Sami, Samu, Samuli
• (surnames): Moilanen

• Samuel is the 115^th most common male given name in Finland, belonging to 5,737 male individuals (and as a middle name to 15,104 more, making it more common as a middle name), and also belongs to 14 female individuals (and as a middle name to 8 more), according to February 2023 data from the Digital and Population Data Services Agency of Finland.

French Wikipedia has an article on:

Samuel

Wikipedia ^fr

• IPA^(key): /sa.mɥɛl/
• Rhymes: -ɥɛl

Samuel m

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

• émulas, muséal, musela

German Wikipedia has an article on:

Samuel

Wikipedia ^de

• Audio:

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• Audio:

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Samuel m

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

• Sämi in eastern Switzerland

Latin Wikipedia has an article on:

Samuel

Wikipedia ^la

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

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /saˈmuː.eːl/, or IPA^(key): /ˈsa.mu.eːl/,
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /saˈmu.el/, or IPA^(key): /ˈsa.mu.el/,

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

1. Samuel

Indeclinable noun or third-declension noun, singular only.

• Italian: Samuele

Norwegian Bokmål Wikipedia has an article on:

Samuel

Wikipedia ^nb

Samuel m

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

Norwegian Nynorsk Wikipedia has an article on:

Samuel

Wikipedia ⁿⁿ

Samuel m

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

Polish Wikipedia has an article on:

Samuel

Wikipedia ^pl

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

• IPA^(key): /saˈmu.ɛl/

• Audio:

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• Rhymes: -uɛl
• Syllabification: Sa‧mu‧el

Samuel m pers

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

• Samuel in Polish dictionaries at PWN

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

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 Wikipedia has an article on:

Samuel

Wikipedia ^sk

• IPA^(key):

Samuel m pers (genitive singular Samuela, nominative plural Samuelovia, declension pattern of chlap)

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)

• “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, 2003–2024

Spanish Wikipedia has an article on:

Samuel

Wikipedia ^es

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

Samuel m

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

Swedish Wikipedia has an article on:

Samuel

Wikipedia ^sv

• Audio:

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Samuel c (genitive Samuels)

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

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

Borrowed from Spanish Samuel.

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

Samuél (Baybayin spelling ᜐᜋ᜔ᜏᜒᜎ᜔)

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