Samuel (name)

Samuel (name)

Samuel is a male given name of Hebrew origin meaning either "name of God" (שם האלוהים Shm Alohim) or "God has heard" (שמע אלוהים Shma 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 American inventor Samuel Morse (1791–1872), Irish writer Samuel Beckett (1906–89), and American author Samuel Clemens (1835–1910), who wrote under the pen name Mark Twain.