Samanta is a feminine given name of Latin origin, meaning "listener" or "hearing". It is derived from the Latin word "saman", which means "one who hears". Samanta is also associated with the Latin phrase "audi, vide, tace", which translates to "hear, see, be silent".
The name Samanta has been popular in several European countries for centuries. In Spain and Italy, it has been a traditional name given to girls for generations. In recent years, it has gained popularity in other parts of the world as well, including the United States.
One notable historical figure with the name Samanta was Saint Samantha, also known as Samantha of Rome. She was a Christian martyr who lived during the reign of Emperor Diocletian in the 4th century. According to legend, Samantha refused to renounce her faith and was consequently put to death. She is now venerated as a saint by the Roman Catholic Church.
In literature, Samanta has been used as a character name in several works. For example, it is the given name of one of the main characters in "The House on Mango Street" by Sandra Cisneros. The name Samanta also appears in the Brazilian novel "Capitães da Areia" by Jorge Amado.
Overall, Samanta is a classic and elegant name with a rich history and meaning behind it. It has been popular for centuries and continues to be a beloved choice for parents around the world.
The name Samantha has been popular among parents in the United States since the early 1970s, with fluctuations in its popularity over time. The earliest recorded birth for a girl named Samantha in the U.S. was in 1972, with only five births that year.
The name gained more traction in the late 1970s and early 1980s, with six births in both 1975 and 1976, seven births in 1977, eight births in 1980, and reaching a peak of twelve births in 1983. This trend continued throughout the decade, with fifteen births in 1984, seventeen births in 1985, and twenty-seven births in 1987.
The popularity of the name Samantha peaked in the early to mid-1990s. In 1990, there were forty births, followed by thirty-four births in 1992 and forty-three births in 1993. The highest number of births recorded for a girl named Samantha was fifty-eight in 1999.
The new millennium saw a decrease in the popularity of the name Samantha, with eighty-nine births in 2000. However, it remained relatively stable throughout the 2000s, with an average of around seventy births per year.
In recent years, the number of births for girls named Samantha has continued to decline. There were only twenty-three births in 2022 and eighteen births in 2023, suggesting that the name may be falling out of favor among parents once again.
Overall, since its introduction in the early 1970s, the name Samantha has been given to a total of 1828 girls born in the United States. Despite fluctuations in popularity over time, it remains a classic and enduring name choice for parents.