Perhaps the Gaffer (and Sam's unseen mother) considered a simple, unlearned, but hard-working child to be preferable to one with more intelligence but less common sense, and named their son with just that in mind.
After all, the Gaffer doesn't seem the type to put much value on education (he made a comment that Bilbo had taught Sam his letters "meaning no harm").
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Music alone proves the existence of God.
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