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Dictionary of Medieval Names
from European Sources
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Samuel m. Origin disputed, either Hebrew שְׁמוּאֵל 'name of God' or Hebrew שְׁמוּאֵל 'God has heard'.

The eponymous character of two Old Testament books, a 7th C Coptic saint, a 10th-11th C tsar of Bulgaria, and an 11th C king of Hungary. Wycliffite Bible (1395): Samuel.

The name was not common in England before the Protestant Reformation.

England
Latin
● 1189 Samuel (nom) GASurv p. 129
English
● 1550 Samuell StAnthonlin p. 8; 1552 Samuell ibid. p. 9; 1559 Samuell ibid. p. 13; 1564 Samuell ibid. p. 17; 1570 Samuel bruton-vol1 p. 39; 1572 Samuell StAnthonlin p. 22; 1573 Samuell ibid. p. 23; 1575 Samuell ibid. p. 24; 1577 Samuell ibid. p. 25; 1578 Samuell ibid. p. 26; 1579 Samuell ibid. p. 27; 1584 Samuell ibid. p. 30; 1586 Samuell ibid. p. 32; 1587 Samuel DEmar-vol2 p. 13, Samuell OrpingtonKe p. 8; 1589 Samuell CAmar-vol1 p. 130; 1590 Samuell BEmar-vol1 p. 14, CAmar-vol1 p. 4; 1591 Samuell OrpingtonKe p. 8; 1593 Samuel DEmar-vol2 p. 26; 1594 Samewell CAmar-vol1 p. 5; 1595 Samuel BUmar-vol9 p. 9; 1597 Samuel DEmar-vol2 p. 36; 1598 Samwell CAmar-vol1 p. 6; 1599 Samuel DEmar-vol2 p. 42, Samuell StAnthonlin p. 39
France
Latin
● c823 Samuel (nom) irminon-vol2 61
Middle French
● 1589 Samuel raymond1588 p. 572
Germany
Latin
● 847 Samuele (abl) HambUrk-vol1 XII; 1217 Samuelis (gen) quix-vol1 71
Cite as: S.L. Uckelman. "Samuel". In S.L. Uckelman, ed. The Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, Edition 2015, no. 2. http://dmnes.org/2015/2/name/Samuel.