Meaning & History
Samuël is the Dutch form of Samuel, a biblical name of Hebrew origin. The name derives from the Hebrew Shemu'el, which is typically interpreted as "name of God" (from shem "name" and 'el "God") or "God has heard" (from shama' "to hear"). In the Old Testament, Samuel was a prophet and the last of the judges, who anointed Saul and later David as kings of Israel. The name has been widely used among Christians since the Protestant Reformation and remains popular in many countries.
In Dutch, Samuël is a rare alternative spelling of Samuel, distinguished by the diaeresis on the 'e' (ë) to indicate that the vowel is pronounced separately, resulting in the three-syllable pronunciation SAH-moo-el. Unlike the standard Dutch form Samuel, Samuël is not common in modern usage but may be encountered in traditional or formal contexts.
Variants of Samuël in other languages include Samuel (Swedish, English), Samvel (Armenian), Samouel (Biblical Greek), Shemu'el (Biblical Hebrew), Samuhel (Biblical Latin), and Samuil (Russian).
- Meaning: "Name of God" or "God has heard"
- Origin: Hebrew, via Dutch
- Type: First name
- Usage: Dutch (rare)