Female name
Samantha
12,744 births (England and Wales, 1996–2025), peaking in 1996. Expression number: 5.
Origin
It was recorded in the 17th century in England. Most probably a feminine form of Samuel, possibly influenced by Anthea. Other suggestions include Aramaic ܫܡܥܢܬܐ (šemʿanta, “listener”, noun), from ܫܡܥ. In India, Samantha can be interpreted as a variant spelling of Samanta, from Sanskrit समन्त (samanta, “universal, adjacent”).From Wiktionary, entry “Samantha”, text under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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How many babies received it
From the official birth registers.
In England and Wales
Peak in 1996: 1,854 births. 12,744 births from 1996 to 2025. A name given mostly in the 1990s. At its peak, it ranked 32nd among girls' names in 1996. It is still given: 266 births from 2021 to 2025.
Source: Office for National Statistics, Baby names in England and Wales, Open Government Licence v3.0.
In the United States
Peak in 1990: 25,926 births. 594,052 births from 1880 to 2025. A name given mostly in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. At its peak, it ranked 3rd among girls' names in 1998. It is still given: 11,781 births from 2021 to 2025.
Source: Social Security Administration, Popular Baby Names, public domain.
In Ireland
Peak in 1986: 206 births. 3,485 births from 1964 to 2025. A name given mostly in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. At its peak, it ranked 34th among girls' names in 1986. It really came into use around 1968. It is still given: 40 births from 2021 to 2025.
Source: Central Statistics Office, Irish Babies' Names, CC BY 4.0.
Elsewhere in the world
The name in the birth records of the 10 countries we track. The period covered varies from country to country.
| Country | Births | Period | Best rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| France | 17,750 | 1900–2025 | 63rd in 1992 |
| Quebec | 3,702 | 1980–2025 | 32nd in 1996 |
| Switzerland | 2,637* | 1915–2025 | — |
| Argentina | 1,922 | 2012–2023 | — |
| Austria | 1,171 | 1984–2025 | — |
| Berlin | 128 | 2012–2023 | — |
* These are the people living in the country, counted by year of birth, not the number of births.
Source: INSEE, Fichier des prénoms, Etalab Open Licence 2.0; Retraite Québec, Banque de prénoms, CC BY 4.0; Federal Statistical Office, First names of the population by year of birth, free use with attribution; RENAPER, Nombres propios en Argentina, CC BY 4.0 (the registry doesn't record sex); Statistik Austria, Vornamen, CC BY 4.0; Open Data Berlin, Häufige Vornamen, CC BY 3.0 DE (every name a child carries, not only the first).
The numbers of the name
Each letter has a value: A = 1, B = 2… I = 9, then J = 1 again (Pythagorean method). We add them up, then reduce to a single digit, except 11, 22 and 33.
■ vowel · ■ consonant
Expression
All the letters: talents, the way you act.
5
freedom, change, movement
1 + 1 + 4 + 1 + 5 + 2 + 8 + 1 = 23 → 5
Soul
The vowels: what drives you deep down.
3
expression, creativity, sociability
1 + 1 + 1 = 3
Personality
The consonants: what others notice first.
2
cooperation, sensitivity, connection
1 + 4 + 5 + 2 + 8 = 20 → 2
- Digits missing from the name
- 3, 6, 7, 9
- Most frequent digit
- 1 · initiative, independence, beginnings
The meaning of the numbers comes from numerological tradition; it isn't a measure of your personality. A full portrait needs your first and middle names, your last name at birth, and your date of birth. How we calculate
Your name and theirs
The number of each name, and the number of the bond, which comes from adding them together. A symbolic game: what your two names say together, to be read as a metaphor, not as a verdict on your relationship.