Samarah
Samarah was the 2991st most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 56 babies. Its best year was 2006, when it ranked 1742nd with 120 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 60 places. More babies were named Samarah in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Samara) Origin not documented
- Rank in 2025
- #2,991 girls, down 367 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 56girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2006120 babies
- Total since 1880
- 2,051babies recorded
What does the name Samarah mean?
Samarah is a spelling of Samara, pronounced the same way, so it shares Samara's meaning and origin.
Samara has no single origin. Wiktionary lists it as a city and river in Russia and as a female given name, without saying where the name comes from. It is also the English botanical word for a winged seed, from Latin samara, "elm seed". Claims that it is Hebrew for "guarded by God" come from confusion with the place name Samaria and are not supported by the sources consulted.
How sure is this? Not documented. Several unrelated words share the form; no documented origin for the given name.
Other explanations you may read: Hebrew for 'guarded by God'.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Samara', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Wiktionary, entry 'samara', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (usage history only), US Social Security Administration
- Dictionary.com Unabridged (based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary), with Collins English Dictionary, s.v. 'samara', Dictionary.com / Random House / HarperCollins
Samarah popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #2,991 | 56 |
| 2020 | #2,624 | 65 |
| 2010 | #2,836 | 62 |
| 2000 | #5,282 | 22 |
| 1990 | #11,118 | 7 |
| 1980 | #10,074 | 6 |
| 1970 | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Samarah, counting every spelling?
Samarah is a spelling of Samara, a name family that ranked #325 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #2,991 for Samarah on its own. Together these spellings went to 1,013 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Samara | 957 | #320 | 5,053 |
| Samarah | 56 | #2,991 | 351 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Samarah?
56 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Samarah (0.02 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Samarah 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 150 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Samarah.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Samarah?
About 2,000 people born in the US named Samarah are alive today, with a median age of 15; half are between 8 and 20. That makes Samarah mostly worn by children and young adults.
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.
Samarah by state
How common Samarah was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in California (1.6×). In 44 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Samarah: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Samarah, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Samarah
How popular is the name Samarah?
Samarah was the 2991st most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 56 babies. Its best year was 2006, when it ranked 1742nd with 120 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 60 places. More babies were named Samarah in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Is Samarah a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Samarah in the US.
Where is Samarah most popular?
In 2021–2025, Samarah was most common in California (0.07 per 1,000 girls), followed by Florida and Texas.