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Origin, Meaning, And History Of Samantha
A beautiful name with Hebrew roots, Samantha exudes an irresistible feminine charm. However, as lovely as the name sounds, its origins are obscure. Many believe it originates from the masculine name Samuel, which means ‘God has heard’ or ‘name of God,’ and Anthos or Anthea, which means ‘flower’ in Greek. As a result, Samantha is widely regarded as a feminine version of Samuel. Another theory is that the name is of partly Arabic origin. ‘Sama’ in Arabic signifies ‘eternal,’ and the latter part of the name follows from the Greek’ Anthos.’ Still, many others consider the name to be of Aramaic origin, wherein it means ‘someone who listens well.’
Samantha, as an English name, has been used since the 18th century. It found its way into people’s consciousness because of Marietta Holley’s works. Her book Samantha at the Centennial appeared in 1877 and was a hit among the general public. Shortly afterward, she wrote Samantha at Saratoga. Holley’s successful series of Samantha books was about the adventures of Samantha Allen and her half-witted husband, Josiah Allen.
You will be surprised to learn that this baby name has many variations in the English language. These include Samanthi, Simantha, and Symantha. The term also goes by Samanta in Italian, Latvian, Polish, Portuguese, and Spanish. The Sanskrit version of this name is Samana, and the Japanese version is Samansa.
This name has been a part of popular culture, and many successful movies and series have characters bearing it. For example, Samantha Baker is the character in the famous comedy Sixteen Candles, portrayed by Molly Ringwald. Samantha’ Sam’ Carter is the name of the person that Amanda Tapping plays in the military science fiction Stargate saga.
More recently, the viral Samsung assistant, Sam, whose full name is Samantha, has brought more attention to the name. This virtual assistant got the internet talking with her bob haircut and sharp blue eyes. Many even declared her as their ‘waifu,’ a term of endearment for an anime character that a person feels romantically attracted to, often romantically. All this makes it safe to conclude that the name is not going out of style anytime soon.
Samantha
How To Pronounce Samantha?
Famous People With The Name Samantha
- Samantha HarrisAmerican television presenter known for Dancing with the Stars
- Samantha ArsenaultAmerican competitive swimmer and Olympic champion
- Samantha JamesAmerican dance musician known for downtempo and uptempo dance music
- Lan Samantha ChangAmerican novel writer best-known for her novel Hunger
- Samantha ColeAmerican pop singer songwriter known for Trident Security
- Samantha ‘Sam’ FaberAmerican ice hockey player known for setting NCAA record for most game-winning goals
- Samantha BuckAmerican actress known for Best Kept Secret
- Samantha IrbyAmerican comedian known for her blog Bitches Gotta Eat
- Samantha BeeCanadian-American comedian known as the longest serving correspondent on the Daily Show
- Samantha MathisAmerican actress who served as the Vice President of SAG-AFTRA
- Samantha KerrAustralian soccer player and captain of the Australia women’s national team
Samantha On The Popularity Chart
The name’s popularity has been good since 1984. It showed an upward trend till 2000s. This popularity chart will give you a better idea of it.
Popularity Over Time
Overtime, Samantha shows a downward trend particularly from the mid 2000s. This graph showcases its growth trajectory.
Source: Social Security AdministrationRank Over Time
From the 1980s till 2020, Samantha has taken a spot in the top 100 baby names. It reflects its steady appeal over time.
Source: Social Security AdministrationNames With Similar Sound As Samantha
Samantha is truly a gorgeous baby girl name. Here are some more names that sound similar.
Names With Same Meaning As Samantha
Don’t worry if you need to name more than a single child. Here are some great names with meanings similar to Samantha.
Name Numerology For Samantha
