Samantha - Names
Meaning of the name Samantha
Gender:
Female
Meaning:
‘God has heart’ (from Hebrew - Samuel: Shemu’el),
flower (from Greek: anthos)
History & etymology:
The name Samantha is speculated to have originated as a feminine form of Samuel. It has been created either by adding the suffix -antha (from Green anthos: flower) or merging the names Samuel (from Hebrew: 'God has heart’) and Anthea (Greek name meaning ‘blossom’).
The first known written record of the name comes from 17th century England but the name had been very rare at that time. Samantha reached top 1000 girls’ names in the USA in the late 19th century, after publication of a series of books by Marietta Holley, in which Samantha was one of the main characters. Another leap in the name’s popularity was recorded in the 1960s, when a TV series Bewitched, featuring a witch named Samantha, was aired. Since that time, the name has never fallen out of the top 200 in the USA.
Apart from numerous Saint Samuels, there is one female Saint known by a similar name.
St. Samhthann was a Celtic nun who lived in the 8th century in Ireland. Her family wanted her to marry a nobleman but Samhthann said that she wants no one but God for her spouse. Legend has it, that a sign was sent from above to make Samhthann’s family respect her will. Depending on a source, it was either heavenly light or fire. Having seen that it is God’s will for Samhthann not to marry, girl’s parents and fiancé let her join the convent of Clonbroney.
Samhthann is said to have performed many miracles. Allegedly, she was able to read minds of the people in need.
Alternative spellings & nicknames:
Samanta
Diminutives: Sam, Sammie, Sammy, Sammi
Similar names in other languages & name days:
USA
27th April: Samantha
Ireland:
19th December: Samhthann
Poland
9th March: Samanta
Famous people named Samantha:
Samantha Barks - actress and singer from the Isle of Man
Samantha Bee (1959-) - Canadian actress
Samantha Boscarino (1994-) - American actress
Samantha Cameron (1971-) - English businesswoman and wife of David Cameron
Samantha Fox (1966-) - British singer
Samantha Grecchi (1994-) - Canadian dancer
Samantha Harris (1973-) - American actress
Samantha Hoopes (1991-) - American model
Samantha Jade (1987-) - Australian singer
Samantha Ruth Prabhu (1987-) - Indian actress and model
Samantha Womack (1972-) - English soap opera actress
Fun facts:
Popularity (2015)
USA: 40th
England and Wales: 300th
Canada: 64th
New Zealand: 84th
Chile: 55th
Mexico: 16th
Lucky colors: black, blue, gray
Lucky stone: Agate, black onyx
Ruling planet: Saturn
Characteristics: artistic, cheerful, dedicated, elegant, imaginative
Samantha is sometimes used as a masculine name in Sri Lanka.