Samantha
A female given name from Hebrew.
Every Samantha since 1880 — 594,052 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Samantha
Samantha is moderately common for girls in the United States, ranked #151 in 2025 with 1,973 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.
Since 1880, 594,052 American babies have been named Samantha. Its peak came in 1990, when 25,926 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1990s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Samantha stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Samantha year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,973 | #151 | — | — |
| 2024 | 2,232 | #126 | — | — |
| 2023 | 2,372 | #114 | — | — |
| 2022 | 2,605 | #106 | — | — |
| 2021 | 2,599 | #106 | — | — |
| 2020 | 2,956 | #90 | — | — |
| 2019 | 3,369 | #80 | — | — |
| 2018 | 3,924 | #61 | — | — |
| 2017 | 4,333 | #54 | 5 | #13,891 |
| 2016 | 4,956 | #44 | 5 | #13,844 |
| 2015 | 5,347 | #40 | 7 | #10,424 |
| 2014 | 5,735 | #33 | 12 | #6,979 |
| 2013 | 6,516 | #29 | 7 | #10,524 |
| 2012 | 6,938 | #26 | 8 | #9,549 |
| 2011 | 7,400 | #17 | — | — |
| 2010 | 8,411 | #15 | 17 | #5,431 |
| 2009 | 9,669 | #14 | 17 | #5,507 |
| 2008 | 11,190 | #11 | 14 | #6,340 |
| 2007 | 11,883 | #12 | 7 | #10,689 |
| 2006 | 12,470 | #10 | 18 | #5,030 |
| 2005 | 13,642 | #8 | 17 | #4,995 |
| 2004 | 13,786 | #9 | 39 | #2,733 |
| 2003 | 13,870 | #10 | 12 | #6,186 |
| 2002 | 14,671 | #9 | 23 | #3,761 |
| 2001 | 15,867 | #7 | 16 | #4,850 |
| 2000 | 17,265 | #7 | 21 | #3,888 |
| 1995 | 21,644 | #4 | 34 | #2,338 |
| 1990 | 25,868 | #5 | 58 | #1,498 |
| 1985 | 10,658 | #29 | 33 | #1,830 |
| 1980 | 4,913 | #58 | 12 | #3,578 |
| 1975 | 2,834 | #101 | 12 | #3,204 |
| 1970 | 2,295 | #149 | 9 | #3,480 |
| 1965 | 1,961 | #179 | 8 | #3,203 |
| 1960 | 81 | #1,216 | — | — |
| 1955 | 27 | #2,095 | — | — |
| 1950 | 35 | #1,596 | — | — |
| 1945 | 31 | #1,476 | — | — |
| 1940 | 19 | #1,888 | — | — |
| 1935 | 22 | #1,655 | — | — |
| 1930 | 14 | #2,403 | — | — |
| 1925 | 19 | #2,108 | — | — |
| 1920 | 26 | #1,661 | — | — |
| 1915 | 20 | #1,732 | — | — |
| 1910 | 10 | #1,613 | — | — |
| 1905 | 12 | #1,154 | — | — |
| 1900 | 27 | #701 | — | — |
| 1895 | 16 | #814 | — | — |
| 1890 | 15 | #720 | — | — |
| 1885 | 17 | #538 | — | — |
| 1880 | 21 | #365 | — | — |
Famous people named Samantha
- Samantha Fox Actor · b. 1966
- Samantha Eggar Actor · b. 1939
- Samantha Smith Social activist · 1972–1985
- Samantha Bond Actor · b. 1961
- Samantha Mathis Actor · b. 1970
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Samantha mean?
A female given name from Hebrew.
How popular is the name Samantha in 2025?
Samantha ranked #151 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 1,973 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Samantha?
594,052 babies have been named Samantha in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Samantha most popular?
Samantha peaked in 1990, when 25,926 newborns received the name.
Is Samantha a boy or girl name?
Samantha is overwhelmingly a girl's name — 100% of babies with the name.
Is the name Samantha rising or falling?
Samantha is declining — less popular now than a decade ago.
Who are famous people named Samantha?
Well-known people named Samantha include Samantha Fox (actor), Samantha Eggar (actor), Samantha Smith (social activist).