Girl name · English
Samantha
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: perhaps a feminine form of Samuel with the suffix anthaSamantha is a girl's name that comes from English and means "perhaps a feminine form of Samuel with the suffix antha". It is used in English, Italian and Dutch.
- Meaning
- Perhaps a feminine form of Samuel with the suffix antha
- Origin
- English
- Gender
- Girl
- US rank
- #151 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Samantha
As a girl's name, Samantha comes from English and means "perhaps a feminine form of Samuel with the suffix antha". It is used in English, Italian and Dutch.
Meaning checked against Behind the Name. How we research names
How popular is Samantha?
- US rank in 2025
- #151
- 1,973 babies, 1,228 per million girls
- Best rank
- #3 in 1998
- Most babies: 25,868 in 1990
- Babies since 1880
- At least 592,847
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 121 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 78 per million |
| 1900s | 46 per million |
| 1910s | 22 per million |
| 1920s | 16 per million |
| 1930s | 16 per million |
| 1940s | 20 per million |
| 1950s | 25 per million |
| 1960s | 604 per million |
| 1970s | 1,871 per million |
| 1980s | 7,052 per million |
| 1990s | 12,442 per million |
| 2000s | 7,269 per million |
| 2010s | 3,253 per million |
| 2020s | 1,515 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #44 | #54 | #61 | #80 | #90 | #106 | #106 | #114 | #126 | #151 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Nicknames for Samantha
Established short forms and pet names, not made-up ones.
- Samcommon English nickname
- Sammycommon English nickname
- Manthacommon English nickname
Names spelled like Samantha
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- SamanehQuail (Persian, girl)
Names with a similar meaning
- MiriamForm of Mary, meaning uncertain; perhaps Egyptian beloved (Hebrew, girl)
- CharlotteFree man, feminine of Charles (Germanic, girl)
- JulianaFeminine form of Julian, from the Roman family name Julius (Latin, girl)
- AlanMeaning uncertain; perhaps little rock, or from the Alans (Brythonic, boy)
- CarlaFree man, feminine of Charles (Germanic, girl)
- CarolineFree man, feminine of Charles (Germanic, girl)
- CarolinaFree man, feminine of Charles (Germanic, girl)
- KennethAnglicized Coinneach, handsome, and Cináed, perhaps born of fire (Scottish Gaelic, boy)
- MarianaFeminine of Marianus, from the Roman family name Marius (Latin, girl)
- AaliyahFeminine form of Aali, high, lofty, sublime (Arabic, girl)
- AresPerhaps from Greek words for bane, ruin, or male (Greek, boy)
- JasperPerhaps treasurer, from Gaspar, one of the Magi (Persian, boy)
- JuliaFeminine of Julius (Latin, girl)
- LottaFree man, feminine of Charles (Germanic, girl)
- LotteFree man, feminine of Charles (Germanic, girl)
Middle names for Samantha
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.
- AliceNobility, of noble kind (Germanic, girl)
- AmberAmber, golden fossil resin (Arabic, girl)
- BessMy God is an oath (Hebrew, girl)
- EsmeEsteemed, loved (Old French, girl)
- GraceGrace, divine favor (Latin, girl)
- IvyIvy plant (Old English, girl)
- JuneSixth month, named for Juno (Latin, girl)
- LydiaWoman from Lydia (Greek, girl)
More girl names from English
- LilianaLatinate form of Lillian, probably from Elizabeth or Lily (English, girl)
- LilyLily flower (English, girl)
- AinsleyFrom a place named for a solitary or hermitage clearing (English, unisex)
- CataleyaFrom cattleya, an orchid named for William Cattley (English, girl)
- EvelynFrom a surname derived from the given name Aveline (English, girl)
- HeatherHeather plant (English, girl)
- LillyVariant of Lily, the flower (English, girl)
- AdairFrom a surname derived from Edgar (English, unisex)
- AddisonSon of Adam (English, girl)
- AloraVariant of Elora, probably invented; used in the film Willow (English, girl)
- AmoraApparently a modern coinage based on Latin amor, love (English, girl)
- AutumnFall season (English, girl)
- BayA sheltered curve of coast (English, unisex)
- BriarThorny wild shrub (English, girl)
- BrynleeVariant of Brinley, a blend of Bryn and lee (English, girl)
- CallaCalla lily (English, girl)
- DarleneDarling (English, girl)
- DawnDaybreak (English, girl)
Samantha: common questions
What does the name Samantha mean?
Samantha comes from English and means "perhaps a feminine form of Samuel with the suffix antha". Checked against Behind the Name.
Is Samantha a boy or girl name?
Samantha is mainly a girl's name.
What are nicknames for Samantha?
Common nicknames for Samantha include Sam, Sammy and Mantha.
How popular is the name Samantha?
Samantha ranked #151 in the US in 2025, with 1,973 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What names are similar to Samantha?
Names spelled like Samantha include Samaneh.
What middle names go with Samantha?
Middle names that flow well with Samantha include Alice, Amber, Bess, Esme and Grace. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.