Samuel

See also: Sámuel, Samúel, Samuēl, and Samuël

English

Etymology

From Latin Samūēl, from Ancient Greek Σαμουήλ (Samouḗl), from Biblical Hebrew שְׁמוּאֵל (šəmûʾēl, literally “name of God”) [1]. 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."

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsæmjuəl/

• 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!

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.

Derived terms

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

Translations

male given name

• Afrikaans: Samuel (af)
• Arabic: سَمَوْأَل (samawʔal), صَامُوئِيل (ṣāmūʔīl)
• Armenian: Սամվել (hy) (Samvel), Սամուէլ (Samuēl)
• Basque: Samuel (eu)
• Breton: Shmouel (br) m
• Car Nicobarese: Samuĕl
• Catalan: Samuel m
• Cebuano: Samuel
• Chinese:

  Eastern Min: 撒母耳 (Sák-mū-ngī)

  Mandarin: 塞繆爾／塞缪尔 (Sàimiù'ěr)

• Corsican: Samuellu (co) m
• Czech: Samuel (cs) m
• Danish: Samuel (da) c
• Dutch: Samuel (nl) m
• Estonian: Saamuel (et)
• Faroese: Sámal (fo) m
• Finnish: Samuel (fi), Samuli (fi)
• French: Samuel (fr) m

  Old French: Samoël

• Georgian: სამუელი sg (samueli)
• German: Samuel (de) m
• Greek: Σαμουήλ (el) (Samouíl)

  Ancient: Σαμουήλ m (Samouḗl)

• Greenlandic: Saamu (kl)
• Hawaiian: Kamuela, Samuela
• Hebrew: שְׁמוּאֵל (he) (shmuel)
• Hindi: सैम्यूअल (saimyūal)
• Hungarian: Sámuel (hu)
• Icelandic: Samúel (is) m
• Ido: Samuel (io)
• Irish: Samúéil (ga) m
• Italian: Samuele (it) m
• Japanese: サミュエル (Samyueru), サムエル (Samueru)
• Korean: 사무엘 (Samuel)
• Kyrgyz: Самуил (Samuil)
• Latin: Samūēl m, Samūēlis (la) m
• Latvian: Samuēl (lv) m
• Lavukaleve: Samuel
• Limburgish: Samuel
• Lithuanian: Samuelis m
• Macedonian: Самуил (mk) m (Samuil)
• Malayalam: ശമുവേൽ (śamuvēl)
• Maltese: Samwel
• Manx: Samuel (gv) m
• Maori: Hāmuera (mi), Hāmiora
• Marathi: शमुवेल (śamuvel)
• Mirandese: Samuel
• Mongolian: Самуел (Samujel)
• Neapolitan: Samuele
• Nepali: शमूएल (śamūel)
• Northern Sami: Sámmol
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: Samuel (no) m

  Nynorsk: Samuel m

• Occitan: Samuèl m
• Persian: ساموئل (sâmu'el)
• Polish: Samuel (pl) m
• Portuguese: Samuel (pt) m
• Punjabi: ਸਮੂਏਲ (samūēla)
• Romanian: Samuel (ro) m
• Russian: Самуи́л (ru) m (Samuíl), Самойло (ru) m (Samojlo)
• Samoan: Samuelu
• Scots: Samuel
• Scottish Gaelic: Samuel (gd) m
• Slovak: Samuel m
• Slovene: Samuel m
• Spanish: Samuel (es), Samu
• Swahili: Samweli (sw)
• Swedish: Samuel (sv)
• Tagalog: Samuel (tl) m
• Tamil: சாமுவேல் (cāmuvēl)
• Telugu: సమూయేలు (samūyēlu)
• Thai: ซามูเอล
• Turkish: İsmail (tr)
• Ukrainian: Самійло (uk) m (Samijlo), Ізмаїл (uk) m (Izmajil)
• Waray-Waray: Samuel
• Welsh: Samuel (cy) m
• West Frisian: Samuël n
• Yiddish: שמואל (shmuel)
• Yoruba: Samueli
• Zealandic: Samuel

one of two books of the Bible

• Afrikaans: Samuel (af)
• Armenian: Սամվել (hy) (Samvel)
• Asturian: Samuel (ast)
• Basque: Samuel (eu)
• Bengali: সামুয়েল (śamuẏel)
• Breton: Shmouel (br) m
• Burmese: ဓမ္မရာဇဝင်​‌ပဋ္ဌမစောင် (dhamma.raja.wang​‌pathta.ma.caung), ဓမ္မရာဇဝင်​‌ဒုတိယစောင် (dhamma.raja.wang​‌du.ti.ya.caung)
• Car Nicobarese: Samuĕl
• Cebuano: Samuel
• Chinese:

  Eastern Min: 撒母耳記／撒母耳记 (Sák-mū-ngī-gé)

  Mandarin: 撒母耳記／撒母耳记 (zh) (Sāmǔ'ěrjì)

• Corsican: Samuellu (co)
• Czech: Samuel (cs)
• Danish: Samuel (da) c
• Dutch: Samuel (nl) m
• Estonian: Saamuel (et)
• Faroese: Sámal (fo) m
• Finnish: Samuelin kirja
• French: Samuel (fr) m
• Georgian: სამუელი sg (samueli)
• German: Samuel (de) m (cf. Erstes Buch Samuel, 1. Buch Samuel, 1. Sam.; Zweites Buch Samuel, 2. Buch Samuel, 2. Sam.)
• Greek: Σαμουήλ (el) m (Samouíl)

  Ancient: Σαμουήλ m (Samouḗl)

• Greenlandic: Saamu (kl)
• Hawaiian: Samuela, Samuʻela
• Hebrew: שְׁמוּאֵל (he) (shmuel)
• Hungarian: Sámuel (hu)
• Icelandic: Samúel (is) m
• Ido: Samuel (io)
• Irish: Samúéil (ga) m
• Italian: Samuele (it)
• Japanese: サムエル記 (Samueru-ki)
• Latin: Samūēl m, Samūēlis (la) m
• Latvian: Samuēl (lv) m
• Lavukaleve: Samuel
• Limburgish: Samuel
• Lithuanian: Samuelio knyga (lt) f
• Macedonian: Самуил (mk) m (Samuil)
• Maltese: Il-Kotba ta’ Samwel (mt)
• Manx: Samuel (gv) m
• Maori: Hāmuera (mi)
• Mirandese: Samuel
• Neapolitan: Samuele
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: Samuel (no) m

  Nynorsk: Samuel m

• Polish: Księga Samuela f
• Portuguese: Samuel (pt) m
• Punjabi: ਸਮੂਏਲ (samūēla)
• Romanian: Samuel (ro) m
• Scots: Samuel
• Scottish Gaelic: Samuel (gd)
• Slovak: Samuel m
• Slovene: Samuelova knjiga (sl)
• Spanish: Samuel (es) m
• Swahili: Samweli (sw)
• Swedish: Samuel (sv) c
• Tagalog: Samuel (tl) m
• Waray-Waray: Samuel
• Welsh: Samuel (cy) m
• West Frisian: Samuël n
• Zealandic: Samuel

biblical person

• Afrikaans: Samuel (af)
• Aghwan: 𐕚𐔰𐕌𐕒𐔴𐔾 (samoel)
• Arabic: صَمُوئِيل (ṣamūʔīl)
• Armenian: Սամուէլ (Samuēl), Սամվել (hy) (Samvel)
• Basque: Samuel (eu)
• Breton: Shmouel (br) m
• Car Nicobarese: Samuĕl
• Cebuano: Samuel
• Chinese:

  Eastern Min: 撒母耳 (Sák-mū-ngī)

  Mandarin: 撒母耳 (Sāmǔ'ěr)

• Corsican: Samuellu (co) m
• Czech: Samuel (cs) m
• Danish: Samuel (da) c
• Dutch: Samuel (nl) m, Samuël (nl) m
• Estonian: Saamuel (et)
• Faroese: Sámal (fo) m
• Finnish: Samuel (fi)
• French: Samuel (fr) m

  Old French: Samuel m, Samoel m

• Georgian: სამუელი sg (samueli)
• German: Samuel (de) m
• Greek: Σαμουήλ (el) m (Samouíl)

  Ancient: Σαμουήλ m (Samouḗl)

• Greenlandic: Saamu (kl)
• Hawaiian: Samuela, Samuʻela
• Hebrew: שְׁמוּאֵל (he) (shmuel)
• Hungarian: Sámuel (hu)
• Icelandic: Samúel (is) m
• Ido: Samuel (io)
• Irish: Samúéil (ga) m
• Italian: Samuele (it) m
• Japanese: サムエル (Samueru)
• Kazakh: Самуил (Samuil)
• Korean: 사무엘 (Samuel)
• Latin: Samūēl m, Samūēlis (la) m
• Latvian: Samuēl (lv) m
• Lavukaleve: Samuel
• Limburgish: Samuel
• Lithuanian: Samuelis m
• Macedonian: Самуил (mk) m (Samuil)
• Maltese: Samwel m
• Manx: Samuel (gv) m
• Maore Comorian: Samueli
• Maori: Hāmuera (mi)
• Mirandese: Samuel
• Neapolitan: Samuele
• Northern Sami: Sámmol
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: Samuel (no) m

  Nynorsk: Samuel m

• Persian: سموئیل (samu'il)
• Polish: Samuel (pl) m
• Portuguese: Samuel (pt) m
• Romanian: Samuel (ro) m
• Russian: Самуи́л (ru) m (Samuíl)
• Scots: Samuel
• Scottish Gaelic: Samuel (gd) m
• Slovak: Samuel m
• Slovene: Samuel m
• Spanish: Samuel (es) m
• Swahili: Samweli (sw)
• Swedish: Samuel (sv) c
• Tagalog: Samuel (tl) m
• Ukrainian: Самійло (uk) m (Samijlo), Самуїл m (Samujil), Шмуель m (Šmuelʹ)
• Waray-Waray: Samuel
• Welsh: Samuel (cy) m
• West Frisian: Samuël n
• Yiddish: שמואל (shmuel)
• Zealandic: Samuel

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. [2]

External links

• Etymology, origin, and meaning of the name Samuel

Anagrams

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

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 (related 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

• Samuël

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).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsɑmuel/, [ˈs̠ɑ̝mue̞l]
• Rhymes: -ɑmuel
• Syllabification^(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

Related terms

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

Statistics

• 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

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

• émulas, muséal, musela

German

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

• Audio:

  (file)

Proper noun

Samuel m

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

Related terms

• Sämi in eastern Switzerland

Latin

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /saˈmuː.eːl/, [s̠äˈmuːeːɫ̪] or IPA^(key): /ˈsa.mu.eːl/, [ˈs̠ämueːɫ̪]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /saˈmu.el/, [säˈmuːel] or IPA^(key): /ˈsa.mu.el/, [ˈsäːmuel]

Proper noun

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

1. Samuel

Declension

Indeclinable noun or third-declension noun, singular only.

Case	Singular
Nominative	Samūēl
Genitive	Samūēl Samūēlis
Dative	Samūēl Samūēlī
Accusative	Samūēl Samūēlem
Ablative	Samūēl Samūēle
Vocative	Samūēl

Descendants

• Italian: Samuele

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

Learned borrowing from Latin Samuel, 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	Samuelowie
genitive	Samuela	Samuelów
dative	Samuelowi	Samuelom
accusative	Samuela	Samuelów
instrumental	Samuelem	Samuelami
locative	Samuelu	Samuelach
vocative	Samuelu	Samuelowie

Further reading

• Samuel in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Portuguese

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /sa.muˈɛw/ [sa.mʊˈɛʊ̯], (faster pronunciation) /saˈmwɛw/ [saˈmwɛʊ̯]

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /sɐˈmwɛl/ [sɐˈmwɛɫ]

• (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): [ˈsamuel]

Proper noun

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)

Declension

Declension of Samuel

	singular	plural
nominative	Samuel	Samuelovia
genitive	Samuela	Samuelov
dative	Samuelovi	Samuelom
accusative	Samuela	Samuelov
locative	Samuelovi	Samueloch
instrumental	Samuelom	Samuelami

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, 2024

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

Related terms

• Samanta
• Samu

 

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