Boy’s name · Hebrew

Shmuel

How to say it: shmoo-EL · /ʃmuˈɛl/

Hebrew form of Samuel meaning 'God has heard'. The traditional Ashkenazi Jewish form of the biblical name Samuel.

Shmuel was the 846th most popular boys’ name in the United States in 2025, given to 256 babies (Social Security Administration). The 2020s are its busiest decade so far, its births are up about 27% in ten years, and it is projected to rise to #744 by 2030.

Updated · SSA 2025 data, published May 2026 · How we compute these figures

#846for boys in 2025
1 in 12,950US babies
256born in 2025
#744projected for 2030
2020sits peak decade
under 1 in 200chance a classmate shares it

Key facts

Key facts about Shmuel
Rank among boys’ names, 2025#846
Babies born in 2025256
Share of births1 in 12,950
Peak decade2020s
Change over 10 years+27%
Projected rank for 2030 (estimate)#744

Sources: Social Security Administration (SSA). How we compute these figures.

Its life, decade by decade

Growth for Shmuel has come almost entirely in recent decades. Its summit is the 2020s, and the coming years point higher still.

1900195020002020–25
Peak: 135 per million births, 2020s.

What goes with it

Warm and soft with breathy depth, said shmoo EL, it carries a biblical gravity. Yosef shares its traditional resonance.

Nicknames

  • Shmu
  • Shmuly

Honouring a Shmuel in the family

In the classroom

In a class of 25 children born in 2025, the chance that another child is called Shmuel is about under 1 in 200.

Around the world

This spelling is used in English, Hebrew.

Famous people named Shmuel

From Wikidata and Wikipedia

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