← All names

Samantha

Girl name · 7,666 babies recorded · 1974–2025

Samantha: 7,666 babies born in Scotland since 1974, given to girls, peaking at 473 births in 1991.

Samantha is the feminine form of Samuel, derived from the Hebrew *Shemu'el*, meaning “God has heard.” The name entered common English use in the 18th century, though it gained widespread popularity only in the 20th. Its most famous young bearer was Samantha Smith, the American schoolgirl who famously wrote to Soviet leader Yuri Andropov at the height of the Cold War, becoming a symbol of peace. On screen, Elizabeth Montgomery’s charming witch, Samantha Stephens, in the 1960s sitcom *Bewitched*, cemented the name in popular culture. There are no major place names derived directly from Samantha, though the etymological root of Samuel appears in many biblical locations. A notable variant is the French-inspired Samanthé, though it remains rare.