Samantha

Meaning: Uncertain; possibly listener
Origin: Uncertain — Probably a feminine form of Samuel, first recorded in 17th-century England

Nicknames: Sam, Sammy, Sammie, Sammi

Girl's name · #151 in the US (2025) · 90s wave

Popularity over time

Samantha reached #3 in 1998 and has faded to #151 since. About 593,000 girls have carried it since 1880. In all that time it has never once missed a year of the national records.

Samantha rose sharply in the mid-1960s. The increase coincided with the 1964 debut of Bewitched, featuring Elizabeth Montgomery as Samantha Stephens.

Across the states

See where Samantha is more common.

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 48 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Around the world

Samantha is especially popular in Philippines.

#2 in Philippines (2024) · #19 in Mexico (2024) · #48 in Ecuador (2025) · #149 in Puerto Rico (2025) · #219 in New Zealand (2025) · #347 in Canada (2025) · #391 in Italy (2024) · #474 in Scotland (2025) · #526 in Norway (2025) · #651 in Sweden (2025) · #730 in Austria (2025) · #778 in England & Wales (2025) and 12 more.

Famous Samanthas

Samantha Stosur — Australian tennis player (born 1984)
Samantha Smith — American peace activist and child actress (1972–1985)
Samantha Cristoforetti — Italian astronaut (born 1977)
Samantha Fox — British singer (born 1966)
Samantha Morton — British actress (born 1977)
Samantha Ruth Prabhu — Indian actress (born 1987)
Samantha Mathis — American actress and trade union leader (born 1970)
Samantha Eggar — British actress (1939–2025)
Samantha Barks — British actress (born 1990)
Samantha Power — American academic, author, and diplomat (born 1970)

In stories & tradition

Samantha Carter — Fictional character in the Stargate universe
Samantha Jones — Fictional character from American TV series Sex and the City
Samantha Mulder — The X-Files (TV series)

What Samanthas become

Among 1,009 notable people named Samantha:

Entertainers appear 1.9× more often than among typical names — e.g. Samantha Smith, American peace activist and child actress (1972–1985).

Twin names

A popular twin pairing with Samantha is Sophia for a girl.

Similar names: Hannah · Samara · Dakota · Molly · Sarah · Rachel

Browse more girl names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.

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