ESC 

Name Rank Total 

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1964

First Year

2018

Last Year

1989

Peak Year

#780

Peak Rank

4K

Total Count

51

Years Active

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## Meaning & Origin of Samatha

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

Samatha, "calm," "serenity," "tranquility of awareness," and vipassanā, literally "special, super, seeing ", are two qualities of the mind developed in tandem in Buddhist practice.

Source: [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samatha-vipassan%C4%81) (CC BY-SA 3.0). [Read more → ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samatha-vipassan%C4%81)

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## The Story of Samatha

The earliest SSA record of Samatha as a baby girl name dates back to 1964, when 9 babies received it. 1989 was its biggest year on record, with 248 newborns named Samatha — #780 in the national rankings. About 38% of every Samatha on record arrived during the 1980s, its defining decade. Samatha last appeared in the published SSA data in 2018, with 5 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 4K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1960s 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

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## Names that sound like Samatha

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

* Samoth
* Samea
* [Smithy](/smithy)
* Smithee
* Sanity
* Cinema
* [Salmon](/salmon)
* [Samantha](/samantha)
* Smoothie
* Smother
* Smoothy
* Samoa

Source: [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/). Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated. 

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## Frequently Asked Questions about Samatha

What does the name Samatha mean?

Samatha, "calm," "serenity," "tranquility of awareness," and vipassanā, literally "special, super, seeing ", are two qualities of the mind developed in tandem in Buddhist practice.

How popular is Samatha in 2026?

In 2026, Samatha ranks #15,678 among girls' names in the U.S., with 5 babies given the name that year.

When was Samatha most popular?

Samatha reached its peak popularity in 1989, ranking #780 that year with 248 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Samatha most popular?

Samatha has historically been most popular in West Virginia, Arkansas, Mississippi. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Samatha.

Is Samatha a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Samatha is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.

What names go well with Samatha?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Samatha include Rosita, Elois, Carma. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

## Similar Names

[👧RositaPeak #779](/rosita)[👧EloisPeak #779](/elois)[👧CarmaPeak #779](/carma)[👧ShonnaPeak #779](/shonna)[👧EvitaPeak #779](/evita)[👧CaddiePeak #778](/caddie)[👧JaneyPeak #778](/janey)[👧GabrielPeak #782](/gabriel)

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## About the name Samatha 

Samatha is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1964 and has accumulated 4K births in the dataset. Samatha's peak popularity came in 1989 when it ranked #780\. Use the chart and map above to compare Samatha's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

### Continue exploring 

* [ Top names of 1989 → ](/year/1989)
* [ Names of the 1980s → ](/decade/1980s)
* [ Names starting with "S" → ](/letter/s)
* [ Browse all girl names → ](/names/girls)
* [ Top names of 2026 → ](/year/2026)

Data sources

* Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. [Social Security Administration ](https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/). 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 ](https://www.behindthename.com/) (used under their public API terms).
* Meaning prose and editorial summary — [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/) article extracts, licensed under [CC BY-SA 3.0 ](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/).
* Predicted nationality distribution — [Nationalize.io ](https://nationalize.io/).
* Phonetically similar names — [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/).

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. 

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