Samwell

George R.R. Martin named lovable Game of Thrones character Samwell Tarly, Jon Snow's closest friend in the Night's Watch, after Samwise Gamgee, Frodo's companion in The Lord of the Rings. Both characters are earthy, kind and rotund.

We think Samwell could be a perfectly good full name for fantasy-loving parents trying to get to Sam. The analogy with Maxwell makes it legible even to people who can't tell their Wights from their White Walkers.

Pronounced SAM-wel.

As of October 2026, Samwell ranked #12057 in US births in 2024 SSA, peaked at #8100 in 2019.