Biblical name (Hebrew Shemuel), possibly meaning ‘He (God) has
hearkened’ (presumably to the prayers of a mother for a son). It
may also be understood as a contracted form of Hebrew
sha'ulme'el meaning ‘asked of God’. In the case of Samuel the
son of Hannah, this would be more in keeping with his mother's
statement ‘Because I have asked him of the Lord’ (1 Samuel
1:20). Living in the 11th century bc, Samuel was a Hebrew judge
and prophet of the greatest historical importance, who
established the Hebrew monarchy, anointing as king both Saul
and, later, David. In the Authorized Version two books of the
Old Testament are named after him, although in Roman Catholic
and Orthodox versions of the Bible they are known as the first
and second Book of Kings. The story of Samuel being called by
God while still a child serving in the house of Eli the priest
(1 Samuel 3) is of great vividness and has moved countless
generations. In England and America the name was particularly
popular among the 16th-century Puritans and a