Samantha Name Meaning: Origin, Popularity & Nicknames

What Does Samantha Mean?

Samantha is a beautiful feminine name that has been around for a long time. The meaning of the name Samantha is not entirely known, but the prevailing theory is that it is a combination of the Hebrew name Samuel and the Greek name Anthea ⁽¹⁾.

Samuel comes from the Hebrew “Shemu’el,” which can mean either the name of God or God heard. Samuel has been a popular name in Jewish and Christian culture for hundreds of years, and scholars believe that the name Samantha is a feminine version of the name Samuel ⁽²⁾.

The latter portion of the name Samantha comes from the Greek feminine name “Anthea,” which comes from “anthos,” the Greek word for flower or blossom.

Based on the two meanings that comprise the name Samantha, you could also say that the name means something similar to “God has heard a flower” or “flower name of God.”

What Is the Origin of the Name Samantha?

You can find records of the name Samantha in 17th century England. In addition, the name also appeared during the 18th century in New England, in the present-day United States.

Samantha is a combination of a Hebrew girl name and a Greek name, so people viewed it as unusual. However, in the late 1800s, the author Marietta Holley created a fictional character named Samantha, which helped the name gain popularity during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

How Popular Is the Name Samantha?

Samantha is a fairly common name. In the United States, the name Samantha has steadily increased in popularity over the past 100 years.

During the early 1900s, it was only in the top one thousand most common baby girl names, but the latter half of the 20th century saw a major boost in the name’s popularity, with Samantha reaching a peak in 1998 as the third most popular baby girl name in the United States ⁽³⁾.

One factor that significantly contributed to the name Samantha’s popularity was the television show Bewitched. The show aired from 1964 to 1972, and the beloved main character was named Samantha. The notable rise in parents naming their babies Samantha coincides with the show.

How Do I Pronounce Samantha?

The name Samantha is pronounced “suh-MAN-thuh.”

Is Samantha a Boy or Girl Name?

Traditionally, Samantha is used as a girl’s name. Most people believe that the name was intended as a feminine version of the name Samuel, and the earliest evidence we have of the name being used shows that it is used as a woman’s name.

Variations of Samantha

As the name Samantha has become more popular in the last hundred years, different cultures have developed versions of the name. Many of these variations are transliterations or versions of Samantha that are spelled to match the phonetic rules of different languages. Some variations of Samantha include:

• Samanda (Korean)
• Samandha (Swahili)
• Samansa (Japanese)
• Samanta (Italian, French)
• Samanthë (Albanian)
• Somontha (Khmer)
• Szamanta (Hungarian)

Nicknames for Samantha

Samantha has many potential nicknames. They are mainly nicknames that are similar to nicknames for the name Samuel. Possible nicknames for the name Samantha include:

• Ant
• Antha
• Anthy
• Anty
• Sam
• Sami
• Sammey
• Sammi
• Samy
• Sammie
• Sammy
• Samster
• Simmy
• Manni
• Manny
• Mantha
• Mimi

Similar Names to Samantha

Similar names to Samantha are classic-sounding feminine names with a similar sound. Some similar names to Samantha include:

• Saanvi
• Sabrina
• Samira
• Samiyah
• Sandra
• Saoirse
• Sarah
• Savanna
• Seraphina
• Serena
• Sienna
• Simone
• Sofia
• Sophia
• Sophie
• Spencer
• Stella
• Stephanie
• Susanna
• Sylvia

Middle Names for Samantha

Many names work perfectly as a middle name for Samantha. The best middle names for Samantha are short, sweet names. Ideas for middle names for Samantha include:

• Belle
• Bex
• Bree
• Brooke
• Dove
• Drew
• Elle
• Faith
• Grace
• Hope
• Jade
• Kai
• Lane
• Lou
• Mae
• Rose
• Shay
• Skye
• Tess

Sibling Names for Samantha

If you are trying to think of good sibling names for Samantha, it can be helpful to think of classic names that were popular in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Sibling Names for a Sister:

• Alice
• Catherine
• Clara
• Daisy
• Elizabeth
• Emma
• Florence
• Frances
• Hazel
• Helen
• Josephine
• Julia
• Lillian
• Lucy
• Margaret
• Marie
• Mary
• Maude
• Nellie
• Ruth
• Virginia

Sibling Names for a Brother:

• Albert
• Arthur
• Carl
• Charles
• Clarence
• Edward
• Ernest
• Frank
• Fred
• George
• Henry
• James
• John
• Joseph
• Louis
• Paul
• Robert
• Thomas
• Walter
• William

Famous People Named Samantha

There are many famous people with the name Samantha, such as Samantha Stosur, the Australian tennis player. Other examples of famous people named Samantha include:

• Samantha Armytage: Journalist.
• Samantha Arsenault: Olympic swimmer.
• Samantha Barks: Singer and actress.
• Samantha Beckinsdale: Actress.
• Samantha Brown: Television host.
• Samantha Cameron: Business executive and wife of David Cameron.
• Samantha Cole: Singer and songwriter.
• Samantha Eggar: Actress.
• Samantha Fox: Model and singer.
• Samantha Gillison: Author.
• Samantha Kerr: Australian football player.
• Samantha Larson: Mountain climber.
• Samantha Maloney: Musician.
• Samantha Murray: Tennis player.
• Samantha Shapiro: Gymnast.

Samantha in Popular Culture

The name Samantha has frequently appeared in popular culture. Some examples of fictional characters named Samantha include:

• Samantha: AI in the film Her.
• Samantha Baker: Character in Sixteen Candles.
• Samantha Darko: Character in Donnie Darko.
• Samantha Jones: Main character in Sex and the City.
• Samantha Mulder: Fox Mulder’s sister in The X-Files.
• Samantha Parkington: Victorian-era American Girl Doll character.
• Samantha Stephens: Main character in Bewitched.

Samantha FAQs

Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about the name Samantha.