Samantha ‌Name‌ ‌Meaning‌

What Does Samantha Mean?

You can’t go wrong with an American classic name like Samantha for your baby girl.

However, the origin of the name is not clear. It may have originated in America in the 18th century as a combination of the Hebrew name Samuel, meaning “God has heard” or “name of God”, and the Greek word Anthea, meaning “flower” or “blossom.”

The common meaning often given to the name is that of the feminine form of the name Samuel. According to another theory, it could also be the English form of the Dutch name Sijmentje which has derived from the Germanic name Sigismund, meaning “victory” (sigi) and “protection or defense” (mund).

How Popular Is the Name Samantha?

The name Samantha has been in use in the United States since the 1800s and was first recorded in 1880 at No. 365 in the Social Security Administration database.

The name dropped in popularity by 1900, ranking at No. 701, according to the Social Security Administration 2020 data. It continued to decline until 1958, just skimming the bottom of the Top 1000 names at No.999, until it disappeared completely from the rankings, only to appear in 1964 at No. 464.

This boost in popularity coincided with the TV show “Bewitched” featuring its lead character, the nose-twitching “witch”, Samantha Stephens. The show ran for eight years and in those years the name had reached No.137 by 1972. In 1976, it entered the Top 100 names and by 1988 it featured in the Top 10 names where it stayed till 2006.

The most popular year for the name was 1998, where it sat at No. 3. In 2017, it dropped to No. 54 and in 2020 it was ranked at No. 90

Name Variations

The following are variations of the name Samantha:

• Samana (Sanskrit)
• Samanta (Italian, Latvian, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish)
• Samanthi (English)
• Simantha (English)
• Symantha (English)

Similar Names

Similar sounding names to Samantha:

• Samaira
• Samantheya
• Samanthia
• Samara
• Samaya
• Sameera
• Sammala
• Samyna

Other girl names starting with S:

• Sabrina
• Sarah
• Savannah
• Scarlett
• Serena
• Sharon
• Skylar
• Sonia
• Stella
• Summer

Common Nicknames

There are a wealth of nicknames that can be derived from the name Samantha:

• Amantha
• Ami
• Matty
• Mimi
• Sam
• Samant
• Sami
• Sammie
• Sammy

Suggested Sibling Names

Looking for a sibling name for Samantha? Here are some popular options:

• Atticus
• Charlotte
• Cory
• Elliot
• Felicity
• Jonathan
• Sidney
• Sophie
• Theodore
• Zachary

Famous People Named Samantha

Some notable people who share the name Samantha are:

• Samantha Arsenault, American competition swimmer, and Olympic champion. 
• Samantha Cameron, English businesswoman whose husband is the former British prime minister, David Cameron.
• Samantha Fox, English singer, and former model best known for the top hit single "Touch Me.”
• Samantha Harris, American television presenter and actress known as the co-host of the TV show “Dancing with the Stars.” 
• Samantha Morton, award-winning English actress and director known for lead roles in the “Emma,” “Jane Eyre,” and “Under the Skin.”
• Samantha Munro, Canadian actress known for her role in the teen drama TV series, “Degrassi: The Next Generation. “
• Samantha Stosur, Australian professional tennis player and former world No.1 in doubles.
• Samantha Womack, English film television and stage actress, singer, and director, best known for her role in the British soap “EastEnders.”

Fictional Samantha:

• Samantha "Sam" Carter, a fictional character played by Amanda Tapping in the “Stargate” franchise of TV series and movies.
• Samantha "Sam" Micelli, a character played by Alyssa Milano on the TV show “Who's the Boss?”
• Samantha Baker, lead character in the film “Sixteen Candles” played by Molly Ringwald.
• Samantha Jones, one of the main characters in the TV show “Sex and the City,” played by Kim Cattrall.
• Samantha Tracy Lord, main character in the musical comedy film “High Society,” played by Grace Kelly.