Name means “El has heard”

Son of Hannah

The last Judge and first of the great prophets in the period of the monarchy; he anointed Saul and David as kings.

• 1 Samuel 1:1 — his father Elkanah is “an Ephraimite” from Ramathaim-zophim, Judaism is matrilineal.
• 1 Chronicles 6:33–38 later lists Elkanah as a descendant of Kohath (a Levite family). So Samuel may have been a Levite living in Ephraimite territory.