Samuel (name)

Samuel
220px Samuel annointing David
Pronunciation	/ˈsæm.juː.əl/ or /ˈsæm.jəl/ French pronunciation: ​[samɥɛl] Spanish pronunciation: [ˈsaˈmwel]
Gender	male
Origin
Word/name	Hebrew
Meaning	"Name of God"
Other names
Nickname(s)	Sam, Sami, Sammie, Sammy, Sambo
Related names	Lemuel, Sam, Sammy, Samantha, Sameth, Samberg, Séamus, Shmuel

Samuel (Sometimes spelled Samual) is a male given name of Hebrew origin meaning either "name of God" or "God has heard" (שם האלוהים Shem Alohim) (שמע אלוהים Sh'ma Alohim). Samuel was the last of the ruling judges in the Old Testament. He anointed Saul to be the first King of Israel and later anointed David.

As a Christian name, Samuel came into common use after the Protestant Reformation. Famous bearers include the American inventor Samuel F.B. Morse (1791–1872), the Irish writer Samuel Beckett (1906–89) and the American author Samuel Clemens (1835–1910), who wrote under the pen name Mark Twain.

The name Samuel is popular among Black Africans, as well as among African Americans. It is also widespread among the modern Jewish communities, especially Sephardic Jews.

Translations

• Arabic: صموئيل (Ṣamoel), سموأل (Samawʾal), صاموئيل (Ṣamuʾil), صموئيل (Samūʾīl)
• Armenian: Սամվել (Samvel), Սամուէլ (Samuēl)
• Belarusian: Самуіл (Samuil)
• Bulgarian: Самуил (Samuil)
• Biblical Greek: Samouel
• Biblical Hebrew: Shemu'el
• Biblical Latin: Samuhel
• Chinese Simplified: 塞缪尔 (Sāimóuěr, Sàimiùěr)
• Chinese Traditional: 塞繆爾 (Sāimóuěr, Sàimiùěr)
• Czech: Samuel
• Danish: Samuel
• Dutch: Samuel
• English: Samuel
• Esperanto: Samuele
• Estonian: Saamuel
• Faroese: Sámal
• Finnish: Samuel, Samuli, Sami, Samppa, Samu
• French: Samuel
• German: Samuel
• Greek: Σαμουήλ (Samouí̱l, Samouēl)
• Gujarati: સેમ્યુઅલ (Sēmyu'ala)
• Hawaiian: Kamuela
• Hebrew: סמואל, שְׁמוּאֵל (Shmu'el)
• Hindi: सैमुअल (Saimu'ala)
• Hungarian: Sámuel, Sami, Samu
• Icelandic: Samúel
• Irish: Samúéil
• Italian: Samuele
• Japanese: サミュエル (Samyueru), サムエル (Samueru), サムエル記 (Samueruki)
• Kannada: ಸ್ಯಾಮ್ಯುಯೆಲ್ (Syāmyuyel)
• Khmer: សាំយូអែល (Sayouel)
• Korean: 사무엘 (Samuel)
• Latin: Samvel
• Macedonian: Самуил (Sámuil, Samoil)
• Maltese: Samwel
• Mandarin: 撒母耳 (Sāmǔ'ěr)
• Maori: Hamuera
• Marathi: शमुवेल (Śamuvēla)
• Mongolian: Самуел (Samuyel)
• Nepali: शमूएल (Śamū'ēla)
• Northern Sami: Sámmol
• Norwegian: Samuel
• Old French: Samoël
• Persian: ساموئل (Sâmo'el), سموئیل (Samo'il)
• Polish: Samuel
• Portuguese: Samuel
• Punjabi: ਸਮੂਏਲ (Samū'ēla)
• Russian: Самуил (Samuil, Samuíl), Самойло (Samojlo)
• Serbian: Самуило (Samuilo)
• Spanish: Samuel
• Swedish: Samuel
• Tamil: சாமுவேல் (Cāmuvēl)
• Telugu: శామ్యూల్ (Śāmyūl)
• Thai: ซามูเอล (Sāmūxel)
• Classical Tibetan: Šəmûʼēl
• Ukrainian: Самійло (Samíilo)
• Urdu: سیموئیل
• Welsh: Sawyl
• Yiddish: שמואל (Şmwʼl)

Feminine variants

• Samuela (Italian)
• Samantha (English)

Notable people

The name may refer to:

Given name

• Samuel (Biblical figure), Biblical prophet
• Samuel of Nehardea, Jewish Talmudist
• Samuel of Bulgaria, Emperor of the First Bulgarian Empire from 997 to 1014
• Samuel Hui, Hong Kong Cantopop musician, singer, songwriter, and actor
• Samuel Colt, American inventor and industrialist
• Samuel Dunbar, American businessman
• Samuel Gerson, Ukrainian-born American Olympic silver medal wrestler (freestyle featherweight)
• Samuel Goodman (rugby union), American player and manager of gold-winning US Olympic team
• Samuel Langhorne Clemens, a.k.a. Mark Twain
• Samuel McKinney (1807–1879), Irish-born Presbyterian minister in the American South.
• Samuel Mosberg, American Olympic champion lightweight boxer
• Samuel Otis, Secretary of the United States Senate
• Samuel Rabin (artist), British Olympic bronze medal wrestler (freestyle middleweight)
• Samuel Rappaport, former Democratic member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
• Samuel Adams, Founding Father of the United States
• Sam Allardyce, English football manager and former professional player
• Sam Anderson, American actor
• Sam Anderson (rugby league), Australian Rugby League player
• Sam Balter, American basketball guard, Olympic champion
• Sam Barkas, English football player and manager
• Samuel Barnett (actor), English actor
• Samuel Berger (boxer), American Olympic champion heavyweight
• Sam Brunelli, American football player
• Sam Bottoms, American actor and producer
• Sam Boyd, founder of Boyd Gaming Corporation (Sam Boyd Stadium is named after him)
• Samuel Brawand, Swiss politician and mountain climber
• Sam Brittleton, English footballer
• Sam Brownback, senior United States senator from Kansas
• Sam Burgess, English Rugby League player
• Sam Bush, American bluegrass mandolin player
• Sam Cassell, retired American professional basketball player and assistant coach for the Washington Wizards
• Sam Clemons, American football player
• Sam Collier, American advertising entrepreneur
• Sam Collins (footballer), English professional footballer currently playing for Hartlepool United
• Sam Cooke, American gospel, R&B, soul and pop singer, songwriter and entrepreneur
• Sam Cooper (American football), NFL player
• Sam Coslow, American songwriter, singer and film producer
• Sam Crawford, Major League Baseball player
• Sam Daly, American actor
• Sam Demel, American baseball pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks
• Sam Donaldson, American reporter and news anchor for ABC News
• Samuel George "Sammy" Davis, Jr., American entertainer
• Sam Elliott, American actor
• Sam Ermolenko, former speedway rider
• Sam Ervin, Democratic United States Senator
• Sam Farr, American politician
• Sam Fatu, professional wrestler better known as The Tonga Kid or Tama
• Samuel Firmino de Jesus, Brazilian footballer
• Samuel "Sam" Fuld, American major league baseball player
• Sam Gagner, Canadian professional ice hockey centre
• Sam Giammalva, amateur tennis player
• Sam Giancana, Italian-American mobster and boss of the Chicago Outfit 1957–66
• Sam Heughan, British actor
• Sam Houser, English computer game producer and developer
• Sam Houston, 19th-century American statesman, politician and soldier
• Sam Huff, former American football linebacker in the National Football League
• Samuel L. Jackson, American film and television actor and film producer
• Sam Jaffe (actor), American actor, teacher and engineer
• Sam Jaffe (producer), agent, a producer and a studio executive
• Sam Johnson, American politician and a retired career U.S. Air Force officer and fighter pilot
• Sam J. Jones, American actor
• Sam Kasiano, New Zealand Rugby League player
• Sam Katz, current mayor of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
• Sam Katzman, American film producer and director
• Sam Keith, American author
• Sam Kieth, American comics writer and illustrator and film director
• Sam Kinison, American stand-up comedian and actor
• Sam Knox, American football player
• Sam Koch, American football punter for the Baltimore Ravens of the NFL
• Sam Lanin, American jazz bandleader
• Sam A. LeBlanc, III, American lawyer and politician
• Samuel A. LeBlanc, I, American politician and judge
• Sam Lee (actor), Chinese actor
• Sam Lee (tennis), professional tennis player
• Sam Lee (singer), Taiwanese singer-songwriter
• Sam Loeb, son of comic book writer Jeph Loeb
• Sam Loeffler, drummer of the hard rock band Chevelle
• Sam LoPresti (1917–1984), ice hockey goaltender
• Sam Loxton, former Australian cricketer, footballer and politician
• Sam Lloyd, American actor and musician
• Sammy Luftspring, Canadian champion welterweight boxer
• Sam Maceo, community leader and organized crime boss
• Sam Match, American tennis player
• Sam McCullum, American NFL football wide receiver
• Sam McDowell, former pitcher in Major League Baseball
• Sam McKendry, New Zealand Rugby League player
• Sam Mele, former right fielder, manager, coach and scout in Major League Baseball
• Sam Mendes, English stage and film director
• Samuel Bongani Mfeka, South African serial killer
• Sam Milby, Filipino-American actor and singer
• Samuel Mills (disambiguation), several people
• Sam Moa, Tongan-New Zealand Rugby League player
• Samuel Moore Morgan, Jr., American state legislator
• Samuel Morse, inventor of the Morse code
• Sam Moskowitz, early fan and organizer of interest in science fiction
• Sam Neill, Australian and New Zealand actor
• Sam Newfield, American B-movie director
• Sam Newman, retired Australian rules footballer and television personality
• Sam Nixon, UK pop singer and television presenter
• Sam Nunn, American lawyer and politician
• Sam Paulescu, American football punter who is a free agent in the NFL
• Sam Peckinpah, American filmmaker and screenwriter
• Sam Perrett, New Zealand Rugby League player
• Sam Phillips, American record producer
• Sam Pollock, former general manager in the National Hockey League
• Sam Posey, retired American racecar driver and sports broadcast journalist
• Sam Querrey, professional American tennis player
• Sam Raimi, American film director, producer, actor and writer
• Sam Rayburn, Democratic lawmaker
• Sam Rice, American right fielder in Major League Baseball
• Sam Riegel, voice actor, writer and director
• Sam Rivers, bass guitarist and one of the founding members of the band Limp Bizkit
• Sam Robards, American actor
• Sam Roberts, Juno Award winning Canadian rock singer-songwriter
• Sam Rockwell, American actor
• Sam Roddick, founder of Coco de Mer
• Samuel Rosa, lead singer and guitarist of Brazilian rock band Skank
• Sam Samore, American artist
• Sam Schwartzstein, American football player
• Sam Shepard, American playwright, actor and television and film director
• Sam Shilton, professional footballer playing as a defender
• Sam Simon, American television producer and writer, one of the original developers of The Simpsons
• Sam Sodje, Nigerian footballer who plays as a defender for Charlton Athletic
• Sam Sparro, Australian singer-songwriter, music producer and former child actor
• Sam Spiegel, independent Academy Award-winning film producer
• Sam S. Shubert, Polish-born American producer and theatre owner/operator
• Sam Snead, American professional golfer
• Sam Sneed, producer and rapper
• Sam Tamburo, American football player
• Sam Tanenhaus, American author, historian and biographer
• Sam Thaiday, Australian professional rugby league footballer
• Sam Tillen, English professional footballer
• Sam Torrance, Scottish golfer
• Samuel Sullivan, a character in the NBC TV series Heroes
• Samuel José da Silva Vieira, (born 1974) Brazilian footballer
• Sam Walton, American businessman and entrepreneur, founder of Wal-Mart
• Sam Walton (American football), American football player
• Sam Warner, co-founder and chief executive officer of Warner Bros. Studios
• Sam Waterston, Academy Award-nominated American actor
• Sam Watters, songwriter and record producer
• Sam Witwer, American actor and musician
• Sam Wood, American film director
• Sam Worthington, Australian actor
• Sam Wright, American shortstop in Major League Baseball
• Sam Wyly, American entrepreneur and businessman, philanthropist, and major contributor to conservative campaigns and candidates
• Sam Yorty, American politician
• Sam Younger, formerly the chairman of the United Kingdom Electoral Commission
• Samuel (musician), indie pop artist

Surname

• Abraham Samuel, 17th-century pirate
• Adolphe Samuel (1824–1898), Belgian music critic, conductor and composer
• Adriana Samuel (born 1966), Brazilian volleyball player
• Albert Samuel (c. 1876–1963), New Zealand politician
• Alexander Lyle-Samuel (1883–1942), English businessman and politician
• Amado Samuel (born 1938), former American baseball player
• Ananda Rao Samuel (1928–1999), Indian bishop
• Andy Samuel (1909–1992), American child actor
• Anthony Samuel, Cook Islander professional rugby league footballer
• António da Silva Samuel (born 1966 in Guinea-Bissau), Portuguese football player
• Archie Samuel (1866–1875), half-brother of American outlaws Frank and Jesse James
• Arthur Samuel, 1st Baron Mancroft (1872–1942), British politician
• Arthur Samuel (1901–1990), American computer scientist
• Asante Samuel (born 1981), American football player
• Basil Samuel (1912–1987), British founder of property company Great Portland Estates
• Benedict Samuel (born 1988), Australian actor, writer and director
• Bernard Samuel (1880–1954), American politician, mayor of Philadelphia
• Charles Samuel (1862–1939), Belgian sculptor, engraver and medalist
• Charlesworth Samuel (died 2008), Antiguan politician
• Christmas Samuel (1674–1764), Welsh Independent minister and writer
• Christophe Samuel (born 1961), Malagasy politician
• Clifford Samuel, British actor
• Collin Samuel (born 1981), Trinidadian footballer
• Daphnée Duplaix Samuel (born 1976), American actress and model
• David Samuel (disambiguation)
• Eboule Bille Samuel (born 1982), Cameroonian football player
• Edmund W. Samuel (1857–1930), American politician
• Edwin Samuel, 2nd Viscount Samuel (1898–1978), British politician
• Eugênio da Silva Samuel (born 1985), Brazilian footballer
• Evelin Samuel (born 1975), Estonian singer, actress and writer
• Flora Samuel, British architect, author and academic
• Fred Samuel (1897–c.1941), Welsh rugby player
• Gene Samuel (born 1961), Trinidad and Tobago road bicycle racer and track cyclist
• Glyn Samuel (1917–1985), Welsh cricketer
• Graeme Samuel (born 1946), Australian businessman
• Haile Samuel, Eritrean general
• Harold Samuel (1879–1937), English pianist and pedagogue
• Harold Samuel, Baron Samuel of Wych Cross (1912–1987), British founder of property company Land Securities
• Sir Harry Simon Samuel (1853–1934), English politician
• Heather Samuel (born 1970), retired sprinter from Antigua and Barbuda
• Herbert Samuel, 1st Viscount Samuel, (1870–1963), British politician and diplomat
• Howel Walter Samuel (1881–1953), British politician
• Ian Samuel (1915–2010), Royal Air Force pilot, British diplomat, director of chemical and agrochemical trade associations
• James Samuel (1824–1874), British railway engineer
• Jamile Samuel (born 1992), Dutch sprinter
• Jhon Samuel (born 1984), British Virgin Islands footballer
• Jlloyd Samuel (born 1981), Trinidadian footballer
• Joanne Samuel (born 1957), Australian actress
• John Samuel (1868–1947), Welsh rugby player
• John S. Samuel (1913–2002), U.S. Air Force general
• Jonathan Samuel (1852/3–1917), British manufacturer and politician
• Joseph Samuel (c. 1780–1806), English criminal who survived execution
• Juan Samuel (born 1960) Dominican-American baseball player
• Judy Samuel (born 1943), British swimmer
• Khari Samuel (born 1976), American football player
• Leighton Samuel, Welsh businessman, owner of football teams
• Lissy Samuel (born 1967), Indian cricketer
• Dame Louise Samuel (died 1925), English suffragist and charity worker
• Mar Samuel (1909–1995), Metropolitan and Archbishop of the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch, buyer of the Dead Sea scrolls
• Marcus Samuel (disambiguation)
• Martin Samuel (born 1964), British journalist
• Maurice Samuel (1895–1972), Romanian-born British and American novelist, translator and lecturer
• Moses Samuel (1795–1860), British clockmaker, translator of Hebrew works and writer
• Myron Samuel (born 1992), Vincentian footballer
• Oliver Samuel (1849–1925), New Zealand politician
• Pamela Richards Samuel (born 1959), U.S. Virgin Islander politician
• Peter Samuel, 4th Viscount Bearsted (1911–1996), British soldier and banker
• Pierre Samuel (1921–2009), French mathematician
• Randy Samuel (born 1963), Trinidadian-Canadian soccer player, manager and coach
• Raphael Samuel (1934–1996), British historian
• Reuben Samuel (1828–1908), stepfather of American outlaws Frank and Jesse James
• Rhian Samuel (born 1944), Welsh composer
• Richard Samuel (fl.1770–1786), English portrait painter
• Richard Samuel (prefect) (born 1952), French prefect
• Robert Samuel (died 1555), English priest, one of the Ipswich Martyrs
• Samuel Samuel (1855–1934), British businessman and politician
• Sandra Samuel (born c. 1964), Indian nanny who saved the life of a two-year-old child during Mumbai terrorist attacks in 2008
• Sir Saul Samuel (1820–1900), Australian colonial merchant, politician and pastoralist
• Seal Henry Samuel (born 1963), British musician commonly known simply as Seal
• Shandel Samuel (born 1982), Vincentian footballer
• Sigmund Samuel (1868–1962), Canadian industrialist
• Silvio Samuel (born 1975), Nigerian professional bodybuilder
• Stanley Bernard Stephen Samuel (born 1986), Malaysian footballer
• Thangadurai Samuel, Indian classical guitarist
• Tony Samuel (born 1955), American football coach and former player
• Walter Samuel, 2nd Viscount Bearsted, (1882–1948), British soldier, company chairman and art collector
• Walter Samuel (born 1978), Argentine footballer for Inter Milan
• Wolfgang W.E. Samuel (born 1935), German-born American author and veteran of the U.S. Air Force
• Xavier Samuel (born 1983), Australian actor

See also

• Books of Samuel of the Bible
• Samael, a similar name
• Shmuel (disambiguation), Hebrew equivalent of Samuel
• Kamuela, Hawaiian equivalent of Samuel