Samara
Samara is a female given name of various origins. It might refer to Samara, Iraq; Samara, Russia; or to winged fruit seeds. The name increased in use after it was used for an evil character in the 2002 horror film The Ring.
Meaning & Origin of Samara
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Samara is a female given name of various origins. It might refer to Samara, Iraq; Samara, Russia; or to winged fruit seeds. The name increased in use after it was used for an evil character in the 2002 horror film The Ring.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Samara
Samara first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1949, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2018, when 1,270 Samaras were born — ranking #256 that year. As of 2026, Samara ranks #285 for baby girls with 1,131 births, gradually rising (+10%). In total, more than 24K Samaras have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1940s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Notable people named Samara
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Samara Almeida (born 1992), Brazilian volleyball player
- Samara Downs , British ballerina
- Samara Felippo (born 1978), Brazilian actress
- Samara Firebaugh , American electrical engineer and academic administrator
- Samara Golden (born 1973), American artist
- Samara Halperin , American artist
- Samara Heavrin , American politician
- Samara Joy , American jazz singer
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Samara
Phonetically similar names — useful when Samara 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 Samara
What does the name Samara mean?
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About the name Samara
Samara is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1949 and has accumulated 24K births in the dataset. Samara's peak popularity came in 2018 when it ranked #256. Use the chart and map above to compare Samara's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2018 →
- Names of the 2010s →
- Names starting with "S" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
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.