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The short answer
Sam is a masculine name used in English. Behind the Name describes it this way: "Short form of Samuel, Samson, Samantha and other names beginning with Sam. A notable fictional bearer is Sam Spade, a detective in Dashiell Hammett's novel The Maltese Falcon (1930)." It ranked #647 for boys in the United States in 2025.
Meaning and etymology
According to Behind the Name, short form of Samuel, Samson, Samantha and other names beginning with Sam. A notable fictional bearer is Sam Spade, a detective in Dashiell Hammett's novel The Maltese Falcon (1930). The entry lists its usage as English.
Editorial confidence: likely
Popularity
Sam ranked #647 for boys in the United States in 2025. The figure comes from the Social Security Administration's national file for that year.
| Region | Year | Rank | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 2025 | #647 | ssa-2025 |
If you like this name
Names that Behind the Name files under the same origin (English) and that sit near Sam in the 2025 American rankings.
Similar by origin
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Sam mean?
Behind the Name does not give Sam a one-word meaning. It describes the name as follows: short form of Samuel, Samson, Samantha and other names beginning with Sam.
Is Sam a popular name?
Sam ranked #647 for boys in the United States in 2025. (Social Security Administration data).
Is Sam a boy's or a girl's name?
In the 2025 SSA data Sam appears in the boys' list; Behind the Name labels it masculine & feminine.
Sources
- Behind the Name: Meaning, origin and history of the name Sam (1) — supports meaning, usage, pronunciation, variants.
- U.S. Social Security Administration: Popular Baby Names — national data, year of birth 2025 — supports popularity.
