# Samuel

> English word · Proper noun · IPA /ˈsæmjuːəl/ · frequency rank #5,261

## Definitions
1. A male given name from Hebrew.
2. One of two books of the Old Testament and the Hebrew Tanakh.
3. The primary author and central character of the first book of Samuel.
4. A surname.

## Etymology
From Latin Samuēl, from Ancient Greek Σαμουήλ (Samouḗl), from Biblical Hebrew שְׁמוּאֵל (šəmûʾēl, literally “'God has set' or 'God has placed'”).
Taken to mean a contraction of popular folk etymology שְׁאִלְתִּיו מֵאֵל (“I have asked/borrowed him from God”) (Modern: Šəʾīltīv mēʾĒl, Tiberian: Šĭʾīltīw mēʾĒl) by way of שָׁאוּל מֵאֵל (“asked/borrowed from God”) from 1 Samuel 1:20.

## Easily confused with
- **Saul** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/samuel-vs-saul)
- **Sauer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/samuel-vs-sauer)
- **sequel** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/samuel-vs-sequel)
- **same** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/same-vs-samuel)
- **Sahel** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sahel-vs-samuel)
- **Sameer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sameer-vs-samuel)

## Common misspellings (8)
`asmuel`, `sameul`, `sammuel`, `samuell`, `samule`, `saumel`, `smauel`, `ssamuel`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/samuel