Samantha
Samantha was the 151st most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 1,973 babies. Its best year was 1998, when it ranked 3rd; the most babies were born in 1990 (25,868). Over the last ten years it has moved down 111 places. More babies were named Samantha in the 1990s than in any other decade.
Meaning Origin uncertain · English, Hebrew
Say it suh-MAN-thuh /səˈmænθə/
- Rank in 2025
- #151 girls, down 61 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 1,973girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 199025,868 babies
- Total since 1880
- 594,052babies recorded
What does the name Samantha mean?
Samantha has been used in English since the 17th century, but its origin is uncertain. Wiktionary calls it most probably a feminine form of Samuel, perhaps influenced by names such as Anthea. Wikipedia mentions another suggestion: a link with Semanthe, a name probably invented by the playwright John Suckling for his 1637 play Aglaura. Wiktionary also notes an Aramaic proposal, 'listener', which is speculative. Wikipedia attributes its modern worldwide use to popular culture.
שְׁמוּאֵל (Biblical Hebrew, “Samuel (possible base)”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. Probably a feminine of Samuel, but uncertain; other proposals include Semanthe and an Aramaic word.
Related names: Sam, Sammy, Samara, Samuel.
See also: English names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Samantha', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wikipedia, 'Samantha', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Samuel', Durham University / The DMNES Editors
Nicknames for Samantha
The usual nicknames for Samantha are Sam and Sammy. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 girls named Samantha in the last five years, fewer than 1 were named Sammy, against fewer than 1 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Girls, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sam · also for Samuel, Samara, Samson | Traditional | #5,370 | 90 |
| Sammy · also for Samuel, Sam | Traditional | #5,208 | 114 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are girls given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Samanthas go by each one.
Samantha popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 1,205 since 1965.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #151 | 1,973 |
| 2020 | #90 | 2,956 |
| 2010 | #15 | 8,411 |
| 2000 | #7 | 17,265 |
| 1990 | #5 | 25,868 |
| 1980 | #58 | 4,913 |
| 1970 | #149 | 2,295 |
| 1960 | #1,216 | 81 |
| 1950 | #1,596 | 35 |
| 1940 | #1,888 | 19 |
| 1930 | #2,403 | 14 |
| 1920 | #1,661 | 26 |
| 1910 | #1,613 | 10 |
| 1900 | #701 | 27 |
| 1890 | #720 | 15 |
| 1880 | #365 | 21 |
How popular is Samantha, counting every spelling?
Samantha has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #175 for girls in 2025, against #151 on the official list, because Kaylani/Kailani/Keilani and Isabelle/Isabel/Izabel and Adalynn/Adalyn/Addalyn move ahead once their spellings are combined.
How many kids will share the name Samantha?
1,973 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Samantha (0.55 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Samantha born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 4 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Samantha.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Samantha?
About 578,900 people born in the US named Samantha are alive today, with a median age of 31; half are between 23 and 37. That makes Samantha mostly worn by adults in their thirties to fifties.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Samantha by state
How common Samantha was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in California (1.9×), Nevada (1.8×), New Mexico (1.6×), New Jersey (1.6×), Delaware (1.6×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in North Dakota, West Virginia, South Dakota.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Samantha: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Samantha, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Samantha · Sibling names for Samantha
Questions about the name Samantha
What does Samantha mean?
The origin of Samantha is uncertain: Probably a feminine of Samuel, but uncertain; other proposals include Semanthe and an Aramaic word.
How popular is the name Samantha?
Samantha was the 151st most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 1,973 babies. Its best year was 1998, when it ranked 3rd; the most babies were born in 1990 (25,868). Over the last ten years it has moved down 111 places. More babies were named Samantha in the 1990s than in any other decade.
Is Samantha a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Samantha in the US.
Where is Samantha most popular?
In 2021–2025, Samantha was most common in California (2.69 per 1,000 girls), followed by Nevada and New Mexico.