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Shmuel

♂ Boy

Pronounced SHMOO-el /ˈʃmuː.ɛl/High

Meaning: Hebrew form of Samuel, from Shmu'el meaning God has heard or name of God, composed of shem (name) and El (God) or shama (to hear) and El; meaning God has heard or His name is GodHigh

In 30 seconds: Shmuel is the Ashkenazi Hebrew form of Samuel, meaning God has heard or name of God, the original Hebrew pronunciation used in traditional Jewish communities worldwide and carried by the great biblical prophet and judge who anointed both Saul and David as kings.
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Origin HighHebrew
MeaningHebrew form of Samuel, from Shmu'el meaning God has heard or name of God, composed of shem (name) and El (God) or shama (to hear) and El; meaning God has heard or His name is God
U.S. rank (2025)#923 ↗ Rising
2025 U.S. births256 boys (0.01% of U.S. boys)
Peak year2025
Total births (all-time)≈ 5,965

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 202519532025

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

History & Origin

Shmuel is the Ashkenazi Hebrew pronunciation of the biblical name Samuel. In Hebrew the name is written Shmu'el, whose etymology is debated: the most common interpretations are either from shama (to hear) and El (God), meaning God has heard, or from shem (name) and El, meaning name of God. The Book of Samuel records his remarkable origin: his mother Hannah prayed desperately for a son and promised him to God; when Samuel was born she declared that God had heard her prayer. Samuel grew up to become the last great judge of Israel and the prophet who anointed both Saul and David as kings.

Shmuel is used in Orthodox and traditional Jewish communities in the United States, Israel, and worldwide as the authentic Hebrew form of Samuel. The English form Samuel has been common across all English-speaking religious communities since the Puritan era; Shmuel is the Hebrew pronunciation used in synagogue, in religious study, and in traditional naming within the Jewish community. It reflects the same impulse as Yitzchok (for Isaac) and Avraham (for Abraham) — maintaining the original Hebrew form as an expression of religious and cultural continuity.

Did you know? The Talmudic sage Shmuel of Nehardea (c. 165–254 CE), also called Mar Shmuel, was a Babylonian Jewish astronomer who created the famous Shmuel's calendar for calculating Jewish holidays — making the name Shmuel connected to both prophecy and astronomy in Jewish intellectual history.
Overall data confidence 87%
Behind the Name — Samuel — Hebrew etymology and biblical context

Variations

SamuelShmu'el

Nicknames

ShmuShmulySam

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If you like Shmuel…

Samuel— the anglicised form of the same name with identical meaning and the same patriarchal weight
Avraham— Ashkenazi Hebrew form of Abraham in the same traditional naming context
Yitzchok— Ashkenazi Hebrew form of Isaac sharing Shmuel's traditional Orthodox community usage
Dovid— Ashkenazi Hebrew form of David, the king whom Samuel anointed, from the same biblical narrative

Frequently Asked

What does Shmuel mean?

Shmuel is the Hebrew form of Samuel, meaning God has heard or name of God.

How do you pronounce Shmuel?

It is said SHMOO-el — two syllables, stress on the first, beginning with the sh sound.

Is Shmuel the same as Samuel?

Yes, Shmuel is the original Hebrew pronunciation of Samuel; both mean the same thing and refer to the same biblical figure.

Who was Shmuel (Samuel) in the Bible?

Samuel was the last judge of Israel and a major prophet who anointed Saul and then David as the first two kings of Israel.