Samuel

Samuel is a masculine first name that means 'heard by God' or 'asked of God.' It is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Shemuel.

What does the name Samuel mean?

Samuel is a masculine first name that means 'heard by God' or 'asked of God.' It is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Shemuel or śəmūʾēl (שְׁמוּאֵל). Its roots lie in Old Hebrew, derived from the three possible initial name components sha'ál (שָׁאַל‎) meaning 'to ask, to request' or shamá (שָׁמַע) meaning 'to hear, to be heard' or shém (שֵׁם) meaning 'name, descendant,' each combined with the second word element 'êl (אֵל) meaning 'God' and 'the Mighty.' The first name Samuel is an ancient biblical name referring to the prophet already mentioned in the Bible. Samuel's mother, Hannah, was unable to bear children for a long time. She prayed to God and asked Him to grant her a son. Afterward, she became pregnant and fulfilled her promise to God. She had Samuel trained as a priest at around three years old. He subsequently developed into a prophet who later anointed David and Saul as kings, serving as the last judge of Israel. Thus, Samuel can also be interpreted as 'God's gift' or 'desired child.' In the later Latin variant, the name is written as 'Samuhel' in the Vulgate. It was only after the Reformation that the name was used by the general population for their offspring. For many years, it has often been used as a Jewish name, for example, by Sephardic Jews. Samuel is particularly favored in the USA by the African American population and in many sub-Saharan African countries. The meaning is not definitively established; folk etymologically, the name is interpreted as 'asked of God.' The derivation of the name from Hebrew (where the name is Schmu'el) is indeed problematic, although the Bible itself provides an explanation in 1 Samuel 1:20: 'And she named him Schmu'el, for I have asked for him from Yahweh.' The word for asking is Scha'al, and its passive participle is Scha'ul. The general name for God is El. The M in the name Schmu'el could be explained in German with the preposition 'von' (of). Seen this way, the whole name is actually a coined term expressing: 'Asked of God.' And that is indeed what his mother Hannah did. Other possible interpretations include: 'God has heard,' 'the one heard by God,' 'God is exalted,' 'the one sent by God,' 'SM is God,' 'the one who is God,' 'the son/descendant is God.'

Where does the name Samuel come from?

Etymology The name Samuel has a Hebrew origin. The first name is considered the transcribed Greek form (Σαμουηλ) of the Old Hebrew word 'Schmu'el' (šemū'ēl,שְׁמוּאֵל), which is composed of 'shama,' meaning 'to hear,' and 'el,' which means 'God' in Hebrew. Samuel is already mentioned in the oldest translation of the Bible - for example, in the First Book of Samuel. Old Hebrew.

How do you pronounce Samuel?

Sound & Pronunciation of Samuel: The name Samuel is pronounced with two to three syllables and has a melodic quality. In German pronunciation, it is usually spoken as 'Sa-mu-el' [ˈzaːmu̯eːl], combining an open first syllable with a flowing sequence of vowels. The final 'l' provides a gentle conclusion. Samuel feels warm and tradition-conscious - harmonious, calm, and present.

When is the name day of Samuel?

The name days for Samuel are celebrated on August 20 and October 10.

Popularity

In Germany, the first name Samuel ranked predominantly between the top 60 and top 100 from 1921 to 1959. It was regularly represented and established itself as a solid mid-range name. In the 1960s and 1970s, the name mostly ranked between the top 70 and top 90. It remained consistently popular without breaking into the top tier. From the 1980s onwards, the name increasingly approached the top 50.

Nicknames & pet names

Gamuel / Manu / Muel / Sam / Sam sam / Sama / Samert / Sami / Sammi / Sammy / Samo / Sams / Samschi / Samsi / Samu / Samulami / Samué / Samy / Samül / Schmuel / Sem Sem / Semmel / Sesam / Shmuel / Smau / Smu / Smörs / Summel / Sämäli

Similar first names

Famous people

• Elmer Samuel Hosmer (American composer)
• Harwood Samuel Coombe Jarvis (Australian cricketer)
• Janitor Samuel (character from the video game 'life is strange')
• Samuel 'Sam' Kiszka (bassist of the band 'Greta van Fleet')
• Samuel 'Sammy' Liebermann (character from the series 'Dance Academy')
• Samuel (character) (character from the film 'Kein Mann für leichte Stunden (2018)')
• Samuel Aleksi Haber (Finnish songwriter, guitarist, and frontman of the Finnish band Sunrise Avenue)
• Samuel Ambrozy (Hungarian theologian)
• Samuel Andreae (German theologian)
• Samuel Arnold (British composer and organist)
• Samuel Beckett (Irish writer)
• Samuel Besler (composer from Lithuania)
• Samuel Bode Miller (American alpine ski racer)
• Samuel Burke (Canadian actor)
• Samuel Eto'o Fils (athlete, footballer)
• Samuel Finley Breese Morse (American inventor, among others, Morse code)
• Samuel Finzi (German actor)
• Samuel Fischer (German theologian)
• Samuel Fournier (football player from Canada)
• Samuel Giers (drummer of the Swedish band 'Mando Diao')