Girl · #145 in 2026

Samantha

Samantha is an English feminine given name in use since the 17th century that is of uncertain derivation. It is now in popular use worldwide due to various popular culture influences.

  • English
  • Italian
  • Dutch
Current Rank
#145
Peak Rank
#3 (1990)
Total Babies
595K
5-Yr Trend
-33%
1880
First Year
2026
Last Year
1990
Peak Year
#3
Peak Rank
595K
Total Count
147
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Samantha

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Samantha is an English feminine given name in use since the 17th century that is of uncertain derivation. It is now in popular use worldwide due to various popular culture influences.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

  • English
  • Italian
  • Dutch
Etymology
Some etymologists have suggested Samantha might be a derivative of Semanthe, a similar name likely invented by English playwright Sir John Suckling for a character in his play Aglaura , which was first staged in England in 1637. Semanthe was later used by other English or Irish writers for characters in works of fiction published in the 17th and 18th centuries, including for a character in the 1682 tragic play The Loyal Brother by Irish dramatist Thomas Southerne , a character in the 1690 tragic play The Treacherous Brothers by English playwright George Powell , a character in the 1699 tragic

The Story of Samantha

American parents first put Samantha on the record books as a baby girl name in 1880, with 21 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1990, when 25,868 Samanthas were born — ranking #5 that year. About 38% of every Samantha on record arrived during the 1990s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Samantha ranks #145 for baby girls with 2,081 births, falling sharply (-33%). All told, over 595K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1880s to the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Variants & Related Forms of Samantha

Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Samantha. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Names that sound like Samantha

Phonetically similar names — useful when Samantha is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Samantha

What does the name Samantha mean?
Samantha is an English feminine given name in use since the 17th century that is of uncertain derivation. It is now in popular use worldwide due to various popular culture influences.
What is the origin of the name Samantha?
Samantha has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: English, Italian, Dutch.
How popular is Samantha in 2026?
In 2026, Samantha ranks #145 among girls' names in the U.S., with 2,081 babies given the name that year.
When was Samantha most popular?
Samantha reached its peak popularity in 1990, ranking #3 that year with 25,868 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Samantha most popular?
Samantha has historically been most popular in Arizona, Minnesota, New Jersey. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Samantha.
Is Samantha a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Samantha is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Samantha?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Samantha include Elizabeth, Margaret, Sarah. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.
What are nicknames or variants of Samantha?
Common variants and related forms of Samantha include Sam, Samanta, Sammi, Sammie, Sammy. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms.

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About the name Samantha

Samantha is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 595K births in the dataset. Samantha's peak popularity came in 1990 when it ranked #3. Use the chart and map above to compare Samantha's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.