Samantha (or the alternatively Samanta) is primarily used as a

feminine given name A given name (also known as a forename or first name) is the part of a personal name quoted in that identifies a person, potentially with a middle name as well, and differentiates that person from the other members of a group (typically a ...

. It was recorded in England in 1633 in Newton Regis, Warwickshire. It was also recorded in the 18th century in New England, but its etymology is uncertain. Speculation (without evidence) has suggested an origin from the masculine given name

Samuel Samuel ''Šəmūʾēl'', Tiberian: ''Šămūʾēl''; ar, شموئيل or صموئيل '; el, Σαμουήλ ''Samouḗl''; la, Samūēl is a figure who, in the narratives of the Hebrew Bible, plays a key role in the transition from the bibl ...

and anthos, the Greek word for "flower".'' World Almanac'', 2009 edition pp. 697–698, Dr. Cleveland Kent Evans, Bellevue University One theory is that it was a feminine form of Samuel to which the already existing feminine name Anthea was added. "Samantha" remained a rare name until the 1873 publication of the first novel in a series by Marietta Holley, featuring the adventures of a lady named "Samantha", wife of Josiah Allen. The series led to the rise in the name's popularity, ranking among the top 1,000 names for girls in the United States from 1880, the earliest year for which records are available, to 1902. The name was out of fashion in the United States for the majority of the first half of the 20th century but reappeared among the top 1,000 names for girls in 1958, when it ranked in 998th position, and in 1959, when it ranked in 993rd place. It fell off the top 1,000 list again until 1964, when it reappeared in 472nd place and leapt another 293 places to 179th place in 1965, coinciding with the 1964 debut of the television show, ''

Bewitched ''Bewitched'' is an American fantasy sitcom television series that originally aired for eight seasons on ABC from September 17, 1964, to March 25, 1972. It is about a witch who marries an ordinary mortal man and vows to lead the life of a typic ...

,'' featuring as a lead character a young witch named "

Samantha Stephens This is a list of characters in ''Bewitched'', an American fantasy television sitcom which aired from 1964 to 1972. Cast Main Recurring Cast notes: Main characters Samantha Stephens Samantha Stephens (Elizabeth Montgomery) is a witch and ...

". The name has remained consistently popular in the United States since the 1960s. It has ranked among the top 200 names for girls since 1965 and among the top 100 names for girls since 1976. It was among the ten most popular names for American girls born between 1988 and 2006 and was among the top 100 names for American girls until 2020. It was the 105th most popular name for American girls born in 2021. It has also been well-used in other countries in English-speaking countries and in Mexico. In

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

, Samantha is used as a

masculine Masculinity (also called manhood or manliness) is a set of attributes, behaviors, and roles associated with men and boys. Masculinity can be theoretically understood as socially constructed, and there is also evidence that some behaviors con ...

given name A given name (also known as a forename or first name) is the part of a personal name quoted in that identifies a person, potentially with a middle name as well, and differentiates that person from the other members of a group (typically a fa ...

, being one of the forms of the name of the god '' Saman''. This usage has no known connection with the feminine version.

Transliterations

* Arabic: سمانثا (Samantha) *

Albanian Albanian may refer to: *Pertaining to Albania in Southeast Europe; in particular: **Albanians, an ethnic group native to the Balkans **Albanian language **Albanian culture **Demographics of Albania, includes other ethnic groups within the country ...

: Samanthë, Samantë * Armenian: Սամանթա (Samant'a), Սամանտա (Samanta) *

Belarusian Belarusian may refer to: * Something of, or related to Belarus * Belarusians, people from Belarus, or of Belarusian descent * A citizen of Belarus, see Demographics of Belarus * Belarusian language * Belarusian culture * Belarusian cuisine * Byelor ...

: Саманта (Samanta) * Bulgarian: Саманта (Samanta) * Chinese Simplified: 萨曼莎 (Sàmànshā) * Chinese Traditional: 薩曼莎 (Sàmànshā) * Dutch: Samantha *

Esperanto Esperanto ( or ) is the world's most widely spoken constructed international auxiliary language. Created by the Warsaw-based ophthalmologist L. L. Zamenhof in 1887, it was intended to be a universal second language for international communi ...

: Samanta *

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

: Samantha * German: Samantha * Greek: Σαμάνθα * Gujarati: સમન્તા (Samantā) * Hebrew: סמנתה * Hindi: सामन्था (Sāmanthā) * Hungarian: Szamanta * Italian: Samanta * Japanese: サマンサ (Samansa) * Kannada: ಸಮಂತಾ (Samantā) * Khmer: សុមន្ថា (Somontha) * Korean: 사만다 (Samanda) * Latvian: Samanta * Mongolian: Саманта (Samanta) *

Marathi Marathi may refer to: *Marathi people, an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group of Maharashtra, India *Marathi language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people *Palaiosouda, also known as Marathi, a small island in Greece See also * * ...

: सामान्था (Sāmānthā) * Persian: سامانتا (Samanta) * Portuguese: Samanta *

Swahili Swahili may refer to: * Swahili language, a Bantu language official in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda and widely spoken in the African Great Lakes * Swahili people, an ethnic group in East Africa * Swahili culture Swahili culture is the culture of ...

: Samandha * Russian: Саманта (Samanta) *

Serbian Serbian may refer to: * someone or something related to Serbia, a country in Southeastern Europe * someone or something related to the Serbs, a South Slavic people * Serbian language * Serbian names See also

* * * Old Serbian (disambiguat ...

: Саманта (Samanta) * Spanish: Samanta * Tamil: சமாந்தா (Samantha) *

Telugu Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of India *Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India * Telugu script, used to write the Telugu language ** Telugu (Unicode block), a block of Telugu characters in Unicode S ...

: సమంతా (Samantā) * Thai: ซาแมนต้า (Sāmænt̂ā) * Ukrainian: Саманта (Samanta) * Urdu: سامنتھا (Samantha) *

Yiddish Yiddish (, or , ''yidish'' or ''idish'', , ; , ''Yidish-Taytsh'', ) is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated during the 9th century in Central Europe, providing the nascent Ashkenazi community with a ver ...

: סאַמאַנטהאַ (Sʼamʼanthʼa)

Notable people

Female

* Samantha Albert (born 1971), Canadian-born equestrienne who represents Jamaica in international competition * Samantha Armytage (born 1976), Australian journalist and television news reporter *

Samantha Arsenault Samantha Arsenault (born October 11, 1981), later known by her married name Samantha Livingstone, is an American former competition swimmer and Olympic champion. Arsenault represented the United States at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Austra ...

(born 1981), American swimmer and Olympic champion * Samantha Barks (born 1990), Manx singer and actress * Samantha Barning (born 1989), Dutch professional badminton player * Samantha Beckinsale (born 1966), English actress * Samantha Bee (born 1969), Canadian actress and comedian * Samantha Bond (born 1961), English actress * Samantha Boscarino (born 1994), American actress * Sam Brown (born 1964), English singer * Samantha Brown (born 1970), American television host *

Samantha Browne-Walters ''Life with Bonnie'' is an ABC television sitcom that originally aired from September 17, 2002 to April 9, 2004. The show outlined the life of character Bonnie Malloy, who juggled her personal life and her job as a daytime TV talk show host. The ...

(born 1991), American actress * Samantha Buck (born 1976), American actress * Aunt Samantha Bumgarner (1878-1960), acclaimed country and folk music performer of the early 1900s * Samantha Cameron (née Sheffield, born 1971), English business executive and wife of politician David Cameron * Lan Samantha Chang (born 1965), American writer of novels and short stories * Samantha Cole (born 1978), American dance-pop singer/songwriter * Samantha Cools (born 1986), Canadian Bicycle Motocross (BMX) racer * Samantha Cornish (born 1980), professional surfer from New South Wales, Australia * Samantha Cristoforetti (born 1977), Italian astronaut * Samantha Davies (born 1974), British yachtswoman * Samantha Davies (born 1979), British sprint athlete * Samantha Dorman (born 1968), American model and actress *

Samantha Dorrance Samantha Dorrance is a British actress, singer and dancer from Willenhall in the West Midlands who reached fame on Disney Channel UK. She played the lead role of Laura in both the UK Tour and West End versions of '' Dreamboats and Petticoats'' ...

(born 1992), British actor and dancer * Samantha Downie (born 1987), Australian model * Samantha Dubois (1955–1992), Dutch radio presenter * Samantha Eggar (born 1939), English actress * Samantha "Sam" Faber (born 1987), American ice hockey player * Samantha Farquharson (born 1969), English athlete * Samantha Ferris (born 1968), Canadian actress and television reporter * Samantha Fox (born 1966), English former glamour model and dance-pop singer *

Samantha Giancola Samantha Giancola (born March 1987), also known as Sammi Sweetheart, is an American television personality. She is best known as one of the eight main cast members in the MTV reality series ''Jersey Shore''. Early life Raised in Hazlet, New Je ...

(born 1987), American television personality and actress * Samantha Giles (born 1971), British actress * Samantha Gillison, American author * Sammy Glenn (born 1983), English actress * Samantha Harris (born 1973), American television presenter *

Sam Healy Sam Healy is an Australian actress most known for her work portraying Jazmina Hillerman on ''All Saints (TV series), All Saints'', an Australian hospital drama. She has also acted as an extended guest regular on ''Blue Heelers'' and ''McLeod' ...

(born 1976), Australian actress * Samantha Heath (born 1960), British politician *

Samantha Holland Samantha Holland (born 17 September 1969) is an English actress. She trained at The Guildhall School of Music and Drama (1988–91) where her year group included Daniel Craig Her work has covered a wide range in theatre, television, film and rad ...

(born 1969), English actress *

Samantha Holvey The Miss North Carolina USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state North Carolina in the Miss USA pageant. This state is part of the RPM Productions group since 1992. In 2005, Miss North Carolina USA Chelsea ...

, American beauty queen * Samantha Inoue-Harte (born 1979), American anime voice actress * Samantha Irby, African-American blogger, comedian, and author * Samantha Jade (born 1987), singer-songwriter also known as Samantha Gibbs * Samantha James (born 1979), American dance musician * Samantha Johnson (born 1991), American professional soccer defender * Samantha Johnson (born 1984), American beauty pageant * Samantha Jones (born 1943), née Jean Owen, English singer and entertainer *

Samantha Josephson Samantha (or the alternatively Samanta) is primarily used as a feminine given name. It was recorded in England in 1633 in Newton Regis, Warwickshire. It was also recorded in the 18th century in New England, but its etymology is uncertain. Specul ...

(died 2019), American murder victim *

Samantha Judge Samantha Judge (born 22 March 1978) is a Scottish field hockey player. She has made 199 appearances for the Women's National Team. She is the current coach at Edinburgh University Hockey Club. Judge was born in Paisley and attended Hutcheso ...

(born 1978), field hockey forward from Scotland * Samantha Juste (born 1944), née Sandra Slater, the "disc girl" on the 1960s BBC television show ''Top of the Pops'' *

Samantha Kerr Samantha May Kerr (born 10 September 1993) is an Australian professional football player who plays as a forward for Chelsea in the FA Women's Super League and the Australia women's national team (the ''Matildas''), which she has captained s ...

(born 1993), Australian association football player * Samantha Kinghorn (born 1996), Scottish wheelchair racer * Samantha Lam (born 1978), Chinese-Canadian equestrian * Samantha Lane (born 1979), Australian television personality and sports reporter * Samantha Larson (born 1988), American mountain climber *

Samantha Leigh Martin Vicki Fowler is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Emma Herry from the character's birth in 1986 to 1988, Samantha Leigh Martin from 1988 to 1995, and Scarlett Alice Johnson from 2003 to 2004. She is the daugh ...

(born 1985), former child actress from England * Samantha Lewes (born 1952), American actress also known as Susan Jane Dillingham and Samantha Dillingham * Samantha Maloney (born 1975), American musician * Samantha Mathis (born 1970), American actress * Samantha Morton (born 1977), English actress * Samantha Mumba (born 1983), Irish singer and actress * Samantha Munro (born 1990), Canadian actress * Samantha Murray (born 1989), English modern pentathlete * Samantha Murray (born 1987), British tennis player * Samantha Navarro (born 1971), Uruguayan singer and composer *

Samantha Page Samantha Page was a newscaster on Naked News. She was born and raised in England, and graduated in psychology and zoology, while also earning a black belt in Shotokan karate (; ; Okinawan language, Okinawan pronunciation: ) is a martia ...

, a newscaster on Naked News *

Samantha Peszek Samantha Nicole Peszek (born December 14, 1991) is an American former artistic gymnast. She was a member of the U.S. women's gymnastics team at the 2008 Summer Olympics, which won silver. Following her elite gymnastics career, Peszek competed ...

(born 1991), American gymnast * Samantha Power (born 1970), American diplomat and academic * Samantha Reeves (born 1979), American tennis player *

Samantha Ruth Prabhu Samantha Ruth Prabhu (formerly: Samantha Akkineni; born 28 April 1987) is an Indian actress who mainly works in Telugu and Tamil film industries. She is a recipient of several awards, including four South Filmfare Awards, six South Indian I ...

(born 1987), Indian actress *

Samantha De Reviziis Samantha De Reviziis (born 24 May 1985 ) is an Italian entrepreneur and fur fashion blogger who has been working in the fur sector since 2009. In 2012 De Reviziis founded SDR srl: an umbrella company for four brands which she also serves as the Ma ...

(born 1985), Italian web influencer *

Samantha Runnion Samantha (or the alternatively Samanta) is primarily used as a feminine given name. It was recorded in England in 1633 in Newton Regis, Warwickshire. It was also recorded in the 18th century in New England, but its etymology is uncertain. Specul ...

(1996–2002), American female murder victim * Samantha Sang (born 1951), Australian pop singer * Samantha Shapiro (born 1993), American gymnast * Samantha Smith (1972–1985), child peace activist and actress who died in a plane crash at age 13 * Samantha Smith (born 1971), British tennis player * Samantha Stosur (born 1984), Australian tennis player * Sam Taylor-Johnson (born 1967), English Filmmaker *

Sam Virgo Samantha Virgo (born 20 February 1987) is a former Australian rules footballer playing for and co-captaining Gold Coast in the AFL Women's until 2021. She previously played 15 games over three seasons with Brisbane. Early life Virgo was born i ...

(born 1987), Australian rules footballer *

Samantha Weinstein Samantha Gail Weinstein (born March 20, 1995) is a Canadian actress. Life and work She was born as Samantha Gail Weinstein in a Toronto hospital in 1995 to Jewish parents. She started her acting career at the age of 6, in a theatre camp where s ...

(born 1995), Canadian actress * Samantha Womack (born 1972 as Samantha Janus), English actress and singer

Male

* Samantha de Mel (born 1965), Sri Lankan-born Italian cricketer *

Samantha Dodanwela Samantha Dodanwela (born 15 September 1970) is a Sri Lankan former first-class cricketer who played for the Sinhalese Sports Club. Dodanwela was a right-arm opening bowler. His best season was in 1995-96, when he took 57 wickets at an average of ...

(born 1970), Sri Lankan cricketer and tea company CEO *

Samantha Fernando Samantha Fernando (born Lankaaluge Samantha Fernando on 25 March 1985) is a Sri Lankan cricketer. He is a left-handed batsman and right-arm medium-pace bowler who played for Chilaw Marians Cricket Club. He was born in Chilaw Chilaw ( si, හ� ...

(born 1985), Sri Lankan cricketer *

Samantha Sooriyabandara Major General Samantha Sooriyabandara RSP, USP was a Sri Lankan Army Major general and diplomat who commanded the 53 Division. He also served as the Defence Attache in the Sri Lanka Embassy in Washington D.C. Early life and education Sooriya ...

(died 2012), Sri Lankan army officer *

K. V. Samantha Vidyaratna Samantha Vidyaratna (or K.V.Samantha Vidyaratne) is a Sri Lankan politician and a former member of the Parliament of Sri Lanka. He fought over the Uma Oya issue and the transfer of 65,000 acres of land to a Singaporean company. Biography ...

, Sri Lankan politician * Samantha Vithanage (born c. 1980), student murdered in Sri Lankan university

Fictional characters

* Sheriff Samantha Parker, a character in the 2002 monster comedy action film '' Eight Legged Freaks'' * Samantha, a character in the 2009 American fantasy comedy movie '' 17 Again'' * Samantha, a sentient AI from the movie '' Her'' * Samantha, the silent scorer in the BBC radio comedy panel game I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue * Samantha, the protagonist from '' Need for Speed: Underground'' * Samantha, a character the panicked Olaf searches for in Disney's Frozen II (before he realizes he doesn't know a Samantha) * Samantha Albertson, a character in the movie '' Now and Then'', played by both Gaby Hoffmann and Demi Moore * Samantha Anderson, on the American TV soap opera ''As the World Turns'' * Samantha Baker, in the film '' Sixteen Candles'' * Samantha "Sam" Barnes, in the audio drama '' The Bright Sessions'' * Sami Brady, on the American soap opera ''Days of Our Lives'' * Sammy Jo Carrington, character in the American TV series ''Dynasty'' * Samantha Carter, a witty female scientist and soldier from the television show ''Stargate SG-1'' and related spinoffs, one of the six original main characters. * Samantha Cole, a character in the film '' Liar Liar'' * Samantha Darko, in the film '' Donnie Darko'' and its sequel, '' S. Darko'' * Samantha Fitzgerald, recurring character on the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'' * Samantha "Sam" Giddings, one of eight protagonists from the survival horror game '' Until Dawn'' * Samantha Groves, in the television show ''

Person of Interest "Person of interest" is a term used by law enforcement in the United States, Canada, and other countries when identifying someone possibly involved in a criminal investigation who has not been arrested or formally accused of a crime. It has no leg ...

'', played by

Amy Acker Amy Louise Acker (born December 5, 1976) is an American actress. She is best known for starring as Winifred Burkle and Illyria on the supernatural drama series ''Angel'' (2001–2004), as Kelly Peyton on the action drama series ''Alias'' (2005 ...

* Sam Jones, in the Eighth Doctor Adventures novels * Samantha, James' seductive new boss in the 1993 film '' Look Who's Talking Now'' * Samantha Jones, in the television show Sex and the City, played by Kim Cattrall * Samantha "Sam" Kanisky, a character on the American television sitcom '' Gimme a Break'' * Samantha Kingston, in the film '' Before I Fall'', played by Zoey Deutch * Samantha Tracy Lord, in the film '' High Society'', played by Grace Kelly * Samantha "Sam" Manson, from ''

Danny Phantom ''Danny Phantom'' is an American animated superhero action adventure television series created by Butch Hartman for Nickelodeon. The series follows Danny Fenton, a teenage boy who, after an accident with an unpredictable portal between the human ...

* Sam McCall, on the American soap opera ''General Hospital'' * Samantha "Sam" Micelli, a character in the TV show '' Who's the Boss?'' * Samantha Milano, a character in the TV sitcom '' Step by Step'' * Sam Mitchell, in the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders'' * Samantha "Sam" Montgomery, in the film '' A Cinderella Story'' * Samantha Moore, a character in the 1989 action movie '' No Holds Barred'' * Samantha Mulder, Fox Mulder's sister on the TV show ''The X-Files''. Samantha was abducted by aliens before the show's start. *

Samantha Parkington Samantha (or the alternatively Samanta) is primarily used as a feminine given name. It was recorded in England in 1633 in Newton Regis, Warwickshire. It was also recorded in the 18th century in New England, but its etymology is uncertain. Specul ...

, a character in the American Girl series * Sam Puckett, from ''iCarly'', played by Jennette McCurdy *

Samantha Spade Special Agent Samantha "Sam" Spade is a fictional character portrayed by actress Poppy Montgomery on the CBS television drama ''Without a Trace''. Samantha is a Special Agent in the New York City FBI missing persons case squad led by Special Age ...

, in the TV series ''Without a Trace'', played by Poppy Montgomery *

, in the TV show ''Bewitched'' * Samantha Taggart, in the TV show ''ER'' * Samantha ''Sammy'', a fictional seal from '' Putt-Putt Saves the Zoo'' * Samantha Evelyn Cook/Art3mis, Wade Watts' girlfriend in '' Ready Player One (2011)'', '' Ready Player One (2018 movie)'' and eventual wife in the end of '' Ready Player Two (2020)''

References

{{given name English feminine given names Sinhalese masculine given names