Samantha (or the alternatively Samanta) is primarily used as a

feminine given name A given name (also known as a forename or first name) is the part of a personal name quoted in that identifies a person, potentially with a middle name as well, and differentiates that person from the other members of a group (typically a ...

. It was recorded in England in 1633 in

Newton Regis Newton Regis is a village and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in the North Warwickshire district of Warwickshire, England.OS Explorer Map 232 : Nuneaton & Tamworth: (1:25,000) : It has a population of 599 at the United Kingdom 2011 Census ...

Warwickshire Warwickshire (; abbreviated Warks) is a county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, and the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare at Stratford-upon-Avon an ...

. It was also recorded in the 18th century in

New England New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian province ...

, but its etymology is uncertain. Speculation (without evidence) has suggested an origin from the masculine given name

Samuel Samuel ''Šəmūʾēl'', Tiberian: ''Šămūʾēl''; ar, شموئيل or صموئيل '; el, Σαμουήλ ''Samouḗl''; la, Samūēl is a figure who, in the narratives of the Hebrew Bible, plays a key role in the transition from the bi ...

and anthos, the

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

word for "flower".''

World Almanac ''The World Almanac and Book of Facts'' is a US-published reference work, an almanac conveying information about such subjects as world changes, tragedies, and sports feats. It has been published yearly from 1868 to 1875, and again every year sinc ...

'', 2009 edition pp. 697–698, Dr. Cleveland Kent Evans,

Bellevue University Bellevue University is a private university in Bellevue, Nebraska. It opened in 1966 as Bellevue College and from the outset has focused on providing adult education and educational outreach. As of 2011, 80% of its undergraduates were aged 25 a ...

One theory is that it was a feminine form of Samuel to which the already existing feminine name

Anthea Anthea ( grc-gre, Ἄνθεια), "blossom" in Greek, was an epithet of the Classical Greek goddess Hera, and is used as a female given name in English. It may refer to: *Anthea Askey (1933–1999), British actress *Anthea Bell (1936–2018), Bri ...

was added. "Samantha" remained a rare name until the 1873 publication of the first novel in a series by

Marietta Holley Marietta Holley ( pen names, Jemyma, later, Josiah Allen's Wife; July 16, 1836 – March 1, 1926), was an American humorist who used satire to comment on U.S. society and politics. Holley enjoyed a prolific writing career and was a bestselling au ...

, featuring the adventures of a lady named "Samantha", wife of Josiah Allen. The series led to the rise in the name's popularity, ranking among the top 1,000 names for girls in the United States from 1880, the earliest year for which records are available, to 1902. The name was out of fashion in the United States for the majority of the first half of the 20th century but reappeared among the top 1,000 names for girls in 1958, when it ranked in 998th position, and in 1959, when it ranked in 993rd place. It fell off the top 1,000 list again until 1964, when it reappeared in 472nd place and leapt another 293 places to 179th place in 1965, coinciding with the 1964 debut of the television show, ''

Bewitched ''Bewitched'' is an American fantasy sitcom television series that originally aired for eight seasons on ABC from September 17, 1964, to March 25, 1972. It is about a witch who marries an ordinary mortal man and vows to lead the life of a typi ...

,'' featuring as a lead character a young witch named "

Samantha Stephens This is a list of characters in ''Bewitched'', an American fantasy television sitcom which aired from 1964 to 1972. Cast Main Recurring Cast notes: Main characters Samantha Stephens Samantha Stephens (Elizabeth Montgomery) is a witch and ...

". The name has remained consistently popular in the United States since the 1960s. It has ranked among the top 200 names for girls since 1965 and among the top 100 names for girls since 1976. It was among the ten most popular names for American girls born between 1988 and 2006 and was among the top 100 names for American girls until 2020. It was the 105th most popular name for American girls born in 2021. It has also been well-used in other countries in

English-speaking countries The following is a list of English-speaking population by country, including information on both native speakers and second-language speakers. List * The European Union is a supranational union composed of 27 member states. The total ...

and in

Mexico Mexico ( Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guate ...

. In

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

, Samantha is used as a masculine given name, being one of the forms of the name of the god '' Saman''. This usage has no known connection with the feminine version.

Transliterations

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walte ...

: سمانثا (Samantha) *

Albanian Albanian may refer to: *Pertaining to Albania in Southeast Europe; in particular: ** Albanians, an ethnic group native to the Balkans **Albanian language **Albanian culture **Demographics of Albania, includes other ethnic groups within the countr ...

: Samanthë, Samantë *

Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian Diaspora, Armenian communities across the ...

: Սամանթա (Samant'a), Սամանտա (Samanta) *

Belarusian Belarusian may refer to: * Something of, or related to Belarus * Belarusians, people from Belarus, or of Belarusian descent * A citizen of Belarus, see Demographics of Belarus * Belarusian language * Belarusian culture * Belarusian cuisine * Byelor ...

: Саманта (Samanta) *

Bulgarian Bulgarian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Bulgaria * Bulgarians, a South Slavic ethnic group * Bulgarian language, a Slavic language * Bulgarian alphabet * A citizen of Bulgaria, see Demographics of Bulgaria * Bul ...

: Саманта (Samanta) *

Chinese Simplified Simplified Chinese characters are standardized Chinese characters used in mainland China, Malaysia and Singapore, as prescribed by the ''Table of General Standard Chinese Characters''. Along with traditional Chinese characters, they are one o ...

: 萨曼莎 (Sàmànshā) *

Chinese Traditional Traditional Chinese characters are one type of standard Chinese character sets of the contemporary written Chinese. The traditional characters had taken shapes since the clerical change and mostly remained in the same structure they took at ...

: 薩曼莎 (Sàmànshā) *

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

: Samantha *

Esperanto Esperanto ( or ) is the world's most widely spoken constructed international auxiliary language. Created by the Warsaw-based ophthalmologist L. L. Zamenhof in 1887, it was intended to be a universal second language for international communi ...

: Samanta *

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with France ...

: Samantha *

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

: Samantha *

: Σαμάνθα *

Gujarati Gujarati may refer to: * something of, from, or related to Gujarat, a state of India * Gujarati people, the major ethnic group of Gujarat * Gujarati language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by them * Gujarati languages, the Western Indo-Aryan sub- ...

: સમન્તા (Samantā) *

Hebrew Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...

: סמנתה *

Hindi Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of North India, northern, Central India, centr ...

: सामन्था (Sāmanthā) *

Hungarian Hungarian may refer to: * Hungary, a country in Central Europe * Kingdom of Hungary, state of Hungary, existing between 1000 and 1946 * Hungarians, ethnic groups in Hungary * Hungarian algorithm, a polynomial time algorithm for solving the assignme ...

: Szamanta *

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

: Samanta *

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

: サマンサ (Samansa) *

Kannada Kannada (; ಕನ್ನಡ, ), originally romanised Canarese, is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by the people of Karnataka in southwestern India, with minorities in all neighbouring states. It has around 47 million native s ...

: ಸಮಂತಾ (Samantā) *

Khmer Khmer(s) may refer to: Cambodia *''Srok Khmer'' (lit. "Khmer land" or "Land of the Khmer(s)"), a colloquial exonym used to refer to Cambodia by Cambodians; see * *Khmer people, the ethnic group to which the great majority of Cambodians belong ** ...

: សុមន្ថា (Somontha) *

Korean Korean may refer to: People and culture * Koreans, ethnic group originating in the Korean Peninsula * Korean cuisine * Korean culture * Korean language **Korean alphabet, known as Hangul or Chosŏn'gŭl **Korean dialects and the Jeju language ** ...

: 사만다 (Samanda) *

Latvian Latvian may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Latvia **Latvians, a Baltic ethnic group, native to what is modern-day Latvia and the immediate geographical region **Latvian language, also referred to as Lettish **Latvian cuisine **Latvi ...

: Samanta *

Mongolian Mongolian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Mongolia, a country in Asia * Mongolian people, or Mongols * Mongolia (1911–24), the government of Mongolia, 1911–1919 and 1921–1924 * Mongolian language * Mongolian alphabet * Mong ...

: Саманта (Samanta) *

Marathi Marathi may refer to: *Marathi people, an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group of Maharashtra, India *Marathi language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people *Palaiosouda, also known as Marathi, a small island in Greece See also * * ...

: सामान्था (Sāmānthā) *

Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...

: سامانتا (Samanta) *

Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Port ...

: Samanta *

Swahili Swahili may refer to: * Swahili language, a Bantu language official in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda and widely spoken in the African Great Lakes * Swahili people, an ethnic group in East Africa * Swahili culture Swahili culture is the culture of ...

: Samandha *

Russian Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including: *Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...

: Саманта (Samanta) * Serbian: Саманта (Samanta) *

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: ** Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Ca ...

: Samanta *

Tamil Tamil may refer to: * Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia ** Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils **Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia * Tamil language, nati ...

: சமாந்தா (Samantha) *

Telugu Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of India *Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India * Telugu script, used to write the Telugu language ** Telugu (Unicode block), a block of Telugu characters in Unicode S ...

: సమంతా (Samantā) * Thai: ซาแมนต้า (Sāmænt̂ā) *

Ukrainian Ukrainian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Ukraine * Something relating to Ukrainians, an East Slavic people from Eastern Europe * Something relating to demographics of Ukraine in terms of demography and population of Ukraine * Som ...

: Саманта (Samanta) *

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
''

: سامنتھا (Samantha) * Yiddish: סאַמאַנטהאַ (Sʼamʼanthʼa)

Notable people

Female

Samantha Albert Samantha Majendie-Albert (born 31 May 1971) is a Canadians, Canadian-born Equestrianism, equestrian who represents Jamaica in international competition. She was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada to a Jamaican mother and an English father, and gr ...

(born 1971), Canadian-born equestrienne who represents Jamaica in international competition *

Samantha Armytage Samantha Armytage (born 4 September 1976) is an Australian journalist and television presenter. Armytage was previously co-host of the Seven Network's breakfast television program ''Sunrise'' from 2013 to 2021 alongside David Koch. She also pr ...

(born 1976), Australian journalist and television news reporter *

Samantha Arsenault Samantha Arsenault (born October 11, 1981), later known by her married name Samantha Livingstone, is an American former competition swimmer and Olympic champion. Arsenault represented the United States at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Austra ...

(born 1981), American swimmer and Olympic champion *

Samantha Barks Samantha Jane Barks (born 2 October 1990) is a Manx actress and singer who rose to fame after placing third in the BBC talent show-themed television series '' I'd Do Anything'' in 2008. She has released three studio albums: ''Looking in Your ...

(born 1990), Manx singer and actress *

Samantha Barning Samantha Barning (born 28 June 1989) is a Dutch badminton player. She can play either in singles or in doubles. She won bronze medals at the 2014 European Championships in the mixed doubles with Jorrit de Ruiter, and at the 2016 European Champio ...

(born 1989), Dutch professional badminton player *

Samantha Beckinsale Samantha-Jane Beckinsale (born 23 July 1966), known professionally as Samantha Beckinsale, and Sam Beckinsale, is a British actress. She played firefighter Kate Stevens in '' London's Burning''. Early life Beckinsale is the only daughter of ac ...

(born 1966), English actress *

Samantha Bee Samantha Anne Bee (born October 25, 1969) is a Canadian-American comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actress, and television host. Bee rose to fame as a correspondent on '' The Daily Show with Jon Stewart'', where she became th ...

(born 1969), Canadian actress and comedian *

Samantha Bond Samantha Jane Bond (born 27 November 1961) is an English actress, who is best known for playing Miss Moneypenny in four James Bond films during the Pierce Brosnan years, and for her role on '' Downton Abbey'' as the wealthy widow Lady Rosamu ...

(born 1961), English actress *

Samantha Boscarino Samantha Boscarino (born December 26, 1994) is an American actress from Ventura County, California. She is known for the film ''The Clique'', for her role as Molly Garfunkel on the Nickelodeon series ''How to Rock'', and for her lead role as Ell ...

(born 1994), American actress * Sam Brown (born 1964), English singer *

Samantha Brown Samantha Elizabeth Brown (born March 31, 1970) is an American television host, notable for her work as the host of several Travel Channel shows including ''Girl Meets Hawaii'', ''Great Vacation Homes'', '' Great Hotels'', '' Passport to Europe'', ...

(born 1970), American television host *

Samantha Browne-Walters ''Life with Bonnie'' is an ABC television sitcom that originally aired from September 17, 2002 to April 9, 2004. The show outlined the life of character Bonnie Malloy, who juggled her personal life and her job as a daytime TV talk show host. The ...

(born 1991), American actress * Samantha Buck (born 1976), American actress * Aunt

Samantha Bumgarner "Aunt" Samantha Bumgarner (October 31, 1878 - December 24, 1960) was an American early country and folk music performer and singer from Dillsboro, North Carolina. She won much praise for her work with the fiddle and banjo. In 1924, accompanied b ...

(1878-1960), acclaimed country and folk music performer of the early 1900s *

Samantha Cameron Samantha Gwendoline Cameron (; born 18 April 1971) is an English businesswoman. Until 13 May 2010, she was the creative director of Smythson of Bond Street. Her husband, David Cameron, was the British prime minister from 2010 to 2016. She took ...

(née Sheffield, born 1971), English business executive and wife of politician David Cameron *

Lan Samantha Chang Lan Samantha Chang (張嵐; pinyin: Zhāng Lán) is an American writer of novels and short stories. Life Lan Samantha Chang was born in Appleton, Wisconsin, and attended Yale University, where she earned her bachelor's degree in East Asian S ...

(born 1965), American writer of novels and short stories *

Samantha Cole Samantha Cole (born October 19, 1978) is an American singer-songwriter. Early life Samantha Cole grew up in Southampton, New York. At the age of 15, Cole began taking vocal lessons and landed a number of singing engagements in New York. Caree ...

(born 1978), American dance-pop singer/songwriter *

Samantha Cools Samantha "Sammy" Cools (born March 3, 1986) is a Canadian BMX (bicycle motocross) racer. Born in Calgary, Alberta, she was introduced to the sport by her brothers Ken Cools, coach of the New Zealand BMX team, and Greg. She currently lives in Gan ...

(born 1986), Canadian Bicycle Motocross (BMX) racer *

Samantha Cornish Samantha Cornish (born 27 October 1980) is a professional surfer from New South Wales, Australia. She began surfing at an early age and entered her first competition at the age of 11. Her father, Peter Cornish, was also a professional surfer. A ...

(born 1980), professional surfer from New South Wales, Australia *

Samantha Cristoforetti Samantha Cristoforetti, OMRI (; born in Milan on 26 April 1977) is an Italian European Space Agency astronaut, former Italian Air Force pilot and engineer. She holds the record for the longest uninterrupted spaceflight by a European astronaut (1 ...

(born 1977), Italian astronaut * Samantha Davies (born 1974), British yachtswoman * Samantha Davies (born 1979), British sprint athlete *

Samantha Dorman The following women have appeared in the American or international edition of ''Playboy'' magazine as Playmate of the Month. Those who were also named Playmate of the Year are highlighted in green. A common misconception is that Marilyn Monroe w ...

(born 1968), American model and actress *

Samantha Dorrance Samantha Dorrance is a British actress, singer and dancer from Willenhall in the West Midlands who reached fame on Disney Channel UK. She played the lead role of Laura in both the UK Tour and West End versions of '' Dreamboats and Petticoats ...

(born 1992), British actor and dancer *

Samantha Downie Samantha Downie (born 21 November 1987, in Melbourne, Victoria) is an Australian model, who participated of the fourth cycle of ''Australia's Next Top Model''. Australia's Next Top Model Downie was a contestant on Australian reality show, '' ...

(born 1987), Australian model * Samantha Dubois (1955–1992), Dutch radio presenter *

Samantha Eggar Victoria Louise Samantha Marie Elizabeth Therese Eggar (born 5 March 1939) is a retired British-American actress. After beginning her career in Shakespearean theatre she rose to fame for her performance in William Wyler's thriller ''The Collect ...

(born 1939), English actress * Samantha "Sam" Faber (born 1987), American ice hockey player *

Samantha Farquharson Samantha Farquharson (born 15 December 1969) is an English athlete. Farquharson competed at the 1994 Commonwealth Games The 1994 Commonwealth Games (French: ''XVéme Jeux du Commonwealth'') were held in Victoria, British Columbia, from 18 ...

(born 1969), English athlete *

Samantha Ferris Samantha Ferris (born November 2, 1968) is a Canadian actress, best known for her starring role as Nina Jarvis on ''The 4400'' and her recurring role as Ellen Harvelle on ''Supernatural''. Career Ferris began her career as a radio announcer and ...

(born 1968), Canadian actress and television reporter *

Samantha Fox Samantha Karen Fox (born 15 April 1966) is an English pop singer and former glamour model from East London. She rose to public attention aged 16, when her mother entered her photographs in an amateur modelling contest run by '' The Sunday Peop ...

(born 1966), English former glamour model and dance-pop singer *

Samantha Giancola Samantha Giancola (born March 1987), also known as Sammi Sweetheart, is an American television personality. She is best known as one of the eight main cast members in the MTV reality series ''Jersey Shore''. Early life Raised in Hazlet, New Je ...

(born 1987), American television personality and actress *

Samantha Giles Samantha Elizabeth Giles (born 2 July 1971) is an English actress and author. She is known for portraying the role of Bernice Blackstock in the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale''. She had also portrayed Sally Boothe in the ITV drama series '' Where ...

(born 1971), British actress *

Samantha Gillison Samantha Gillison (born 1967) is an Australian-born American writer who frequently contributes to Salon.com and Condé Nast Traveler. Gillison was born in Australia, of an Australian father and Canadian mother, but has lived overseas since she w ...

, American author * Sammy Glenn (born 1983), English actress *

Samantha Harris Samantha Harris (born Samantha Harris Shapiro; November 27, 1973) is an American television presenter, model, and entertainment reporter and actress, known as the co-host of seasons two through nine of ''Dancing with the Stars'' with Tom Bergero ...

(born 1973), American television presenter *

Sam Healy Sam Healy is an Australian actress most known for her work portraying Jazmina Hillerman on '' All Saints'', an Australian hospital drama. She has also acted as an extended guest regular on '' Blue Heelers'' and '' McLeod's Daughters and as a ...

(born 1976), Australian actress *

Samantha Heath Samantha Heath (6 June 1960 – 29 March 2019) was the Chief Executive of London Sustainability Exchange from 2005 to 2018; a voluntary organisation supporting the delivery of London as the most sustainable world city. She was a member and forme ...

(born 1960), British politician *

Samantha Holland Samantha Holland (born 17 September 1969) is an English actress. She trained at The Guildhall School of Music and Drama (1988–91) where her year group included Daniel Craig Her work has covered a wide range in theatre, television, film and rad ...

(born 1969), English actress *

Samantha Holvey The Miss North Carolina USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state North Carolina in the Miss USA pageant. This state is part of the RPM Productions group since 1992. In 2005, Miss North Carolina USA Chelsea ...

, American beauty queen *

Samantha Inoue-Harte Samantha Inoue Harte (born April 21, 1979) is an American voice actress and founder of an animation studio called Saiko Studios. She is perhaps most recognized for her role as the Chocobo in '' Final Fantasy: Unlimited'', the anime series, and a ...

(born 1979), American anime voice actress *

Samantha Irby Samantha McKiver Irby (born February 13, 1980) is an American comedian, essayist, blogger, and television writer. She is the creator and author of the blog ''bitches gotta eat'', where she writes humorous observations about her own life and moder ...

, African-American blogger, comedian, and author *

Samantha Jade Samantha Jade Gibbs (born 18 April 1987) is an Australian singer and songwriter. She has written tracks for artists including JoJo and Ashley Tisdale. In 2012, Jade won the fourth season of '' The X Factor Australia'', the first woman to win ...

(born 1987), singer-songwriter also known as Samantha Gibbs *

Samantha James Samantha James is an American dance pop singer from Los Angeles, known for her style of blending downtempo to uptempo dance music, with soulful vocal styles. She released her debut album, '' Rise'', in 2007 through Om Records. The title track f ...

(born 1979), American dance musician *

Samantha Johnson Samantha Martel Johnson (born June 10, 1991) is an American soccer defender. She has previously played for National Women's Soccer League clubs Chicago Red Stars and Utah Royals FC and for Australian W-League clubs Melbourne Victory, Sydney F ...

(born 1991), American professional soccer defender *

(born 1984), American beauty pageant * Samantha Jones (born 1943), née Jean Owen, English singer and entertainer *

Samantha Josephson Samantha (or the alternatively Samanta) is primarily used as a feminine given name. It was recorded in England in 1633 in Newton Regis, Warwickshire. It was also recorded in the 18th century in New England, but its etymology is uncertain. Specul ...

(died 2019), American murder victim *

Samantha Judge Samantha Judge (born 22 March 1978) is a Scottish field hockey player. She has made 199 appearances for the Women's National Team. She is the current coach at Edinburgh University Hockey Club. Judge was born in Paisley and attended Hutcheso ...

(born 1978), field hockey forward from Scotland *

Samantha Juste Samantha Juste (born Sandra Slater; 31 May 1944 – 5 February 2014) was a British model and television presenter who appeared in the mid-1960s as the "disc girl" on the BBC television programme ''Top of the Pops''. In 1968, she married Micky ...

(born 1944), née Sandra Slater, the "disc girl" on the 1960s BBC television show ''Top of the Pops'' *

Samantha Kerr Samantha May Kerr (born 10 September 1993) is an Australian professional football player who plays as a forward for Chelsea in the FA Women's Super League and the Australia women's national team (the ''Matildas''), which she has captained s ...

(born 1993), Australian association football player * Samantha Kinghorn (born 1996), Scottish wheelchair racer * Samantha Lam (born 1978), Chinese-Canadian equestrian *

Samantha Lane Samantha Jane Lane (born 5 June 1979) is an Australian AFL and sports writer for ''The Age'' newspaper, television and radio personality and daughter of veteran journalist and commentator Tim Lane. She was a panellist on ''Before The Game'' o ...

(born 1979), Australian television personality and sports reporter *

Samantha Larson Samantha Larson (born 1988) is an American mountain climber from Long Beach, California. On May 16, 2007, at the age of 18, she became temporarily the youngest non-Nepalese woman to summit Mount Everest. By reaching the top of Everest, she also ...

(born 1988), American mountain climber *

Samantha Leigh Martin Vicki Fowler is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Emma Herry from the character's birth in 1986 to 1988, Samantha Leigh Martin from 1988 to 1995, and Scarlett Alice Johnson from 2003 to 2004. She is the daugh ...

(born 1985), former child actress from England *

Samantha Lewes Thomas Jeffrey Hanks (born July 9, 1956) is an American actor and filmmaker. Known for both his comedic and dramatic roles, he is one of the most popular and recognizable film stars worldwide, and is regarded as an American cultural icon. Ha ...

(born 1952), American actress also known as Susan Jane Dillingham and Samantha Dillingham *

Samantha Maloney Samantha Maloney (born December 11, 1975) is an American musician best known for playing in the bands Hole and Mötley Crüe. She has also performed live with Eagles of Death Metal and Peaches. Early career Maloney received her first drum-kit ...

(born 1975), American musician *

Samantha Mathis Samantha Mathis (born May 12, 1970) is an American actress and trade union leader who served as the Vice President, Actors/Performers of SAG-AFTRA from 2015 to 2019. The daughter of actress Bibi Besch, Mathis made her film debut in '' Pump Up t ...

(born 1970), American actress *

Samantha Morton Samantha Jane Morton (born 13 May 1977) is an English actress and director. Known for her work in independent cinema, she is the recipient of numerous accolades, including a BAFTA Award and a Golden Globe Award, as well as nominations for two ...

(born 1977), English actress *

Samantha Mumba Samantha Tamania Anne Cecilia Mumba (born 18 January 1983) is an Irish singer-songwriter, dancer, actress, fashion model and TV presenter. In 2000, at the age of 17, she shot to fame with the release of her debut single " Gotta Tell You", which ...

(born 1983), Irish singer and actress *

Samantha Munro Samantha Munro (born October 19, 1990) is a Canadian actress. She is known for her role as Anya MacPherson on '' Degrassi: The Next Generation''. She also played the role of Shannen Doherty in Lifetime's 2015 television film '' The Unauthorize ...

(born 1990), Canadian actress *

Samantha Murray Samantha Murray (born 25 September 1989) is an English modern pentathlete. She won the silver medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics, and the bronze medal at the 2012 World Championships. In 2014, she won individual gold and team silver medals at ...

(born 1989), English modern pentathlete *

(born 1987), British tennis player *

Samantha Navarro Samantha Navarro (born 14 August 1971 Montevideo, Uruguay) is a Uruguayan Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to ...

(born 1971), Uruguayan singer and composer *

Samantha Page Samantha Page was a newscaster on Naked News. She was born and raised in England, and graduated in psychology and zoology, while also earning a black belt in Shotokan karate (; ; Okinawan language, Okinawan pronunciation: ) is a martia ...

, a newscaster on

Naked News ''Naked News'' is a Canadian news and entertainment program owned by Naked Broadcasting Network. It features nude female news presenters reading news bulletins derived from news wires. The show's production studio is located in Toronto. There a ...

Samantha Peszek Samantha Nicole Peszek (born December 14, 1991) is an American former artistic gymnast. She was a member of the U.S. women's gymnastics team at the 2008 Summer Olympics, which won silver. Following her elite gymnastics career, Peszek competed f ...

(born 1991), American gymnast *

Samantha Power Samantha Jane Power (born September 21, 1970) is an American journalist, diplomat and government official who is currently serving as the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development. She previously served as the 28th ...

(born 1970), American diplomat and academic *

Samantha Reeves Samantha Reeves (born January 17, 1979) is an American former professional tennis player. Her best results in singles have been reaching the quarterfinals at Hawaii (2002), Bahia and Quebec City Quebec City ( or ; french: Ville de Québec) ...

(born 1979), American tennis player *

Samantha Ruth Prabhu Samantha Ruth Prabhu (formerly: Samantha Akkineni; born 28 April 1987) is an Indian actress who mainly works in Telugu and Tamil film industries. She is a recipient of several awards, including four South Filmfare Awards, six South Indian ...

(born 1987), Indian actress *

Samantha De Reviziis Samantha De Reviziis (born 24 May 1985 ) is an Italian entrepreneur and fur fashion blogger who has been working in the fur sector since 2009. In 2012 De Reviziis founded SDR srl: an umbrella company for four brands which she also serves as the Ma ...

(born 1985), Italian web influencer *

Samantha Runnion Samantha (or the alternatively Samanta) is primarily used as a feminine given name. It was recorded in England in 1633 in Newton Regis, Warwickshire. It was also recorded in the 18th century in New England, but its etymology is uncertain. Specul ...

(1996–2002), American female murder victim *

Samantha Sang Cheryl Lau Sang (born 5 August 1951), known professionally as Samantha Sang, is an Australian singer. She had an earlier career as a teenage singer under the stage name Cheryl Gray, before adopting the stage name she is more widely known as in 1 ...

(born 1951), Australian pop singer *

Samantha Shapiro Samantha "Sami" Shapiro (born May 18, 1993) is an American gymnast. She is a five-time member of the US Women's National Gymnastics Team. She was the 2007 U.S. junior uneven bars champion, 2008 U.S. junior uneven bars and balance beam champion, ...

(born 1993), American gymnast *

Samantha Smith Samantha Reed Smith (June 29, 1972 – August 25, 1985) was an American peace activist and child actress from Manchester, Maine, who became famous for her anti-war outreaches during the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union. ...

(1972–1985), child peace activist and actress who died in a plane crash at age 13 *

(born 1971), British tennis player *

Samantha Stosur Samantha Jane Stosur ( ; born 30 March 1984) is an Australian professional tennis player. She is a former world No. 1 in doubles, a ranking which she first achieved on 6 February 2006 and held for 61 consecutive weeks. Also a former top ten ...

(born 1984), Australian tennis player *

Sam Taylor-Johnson Samantha Louise Taylor-Johnson OBE (née Taylor-Wood; 4 March 1967) is a British filmmaker and photographer. Her directorial feature film debut was 2009's '' Nowhere Boy'', a film based on the childhood experiences of The Beatles songwriter an ...

(born 1967), English Filmmaker *

Sam Virgo Samantha Virgo (born 20 February 1987) is a former Australian rules footballer playing for and co-captaining Gold Coast in the AFL Women's until 2021. She previously played 15 games over three seasons with Brisbane. Early life Virgo was born ...

(born 1987), Australian rules footballer *

Samantha Weinstein Samantha Gail Weinstein (born March 20, 1995) is a Canadian actress. Life and work She was born as Samantha Gail Weinstein in a Toronto hospital in 1995 to Jewish parents. She started her acting career at the age of 6, in a theatre camp where s ...

(born 1995), Canadian actress *

Samantha Womack Samantha Zoe Womack (''née'' Janus; born 2 November 1972) is an English actress, singer, model and director who has worked in film, television and stage. Womack initially planned a career in singing and she represented the United Kingdom in ...

(born 1972 as Samantha Janus), English actress and singer

Male

Samantha de Mel Vidanelage Samantha Pathmachandra de Mel (born 12 December 1964) is a former Italian cricketer of Sri Lankan origin. A left-arm orthodox spinner, he played for the Italy national cricket team between 1996 and 1998, having previously played first- ...

(born 1965), Sri Lankan-born Italian cricketer *

Samantha Dodanwela Samantha Dodanwela (born 15 September 1970) is a Sri Lankan former first-class cricketer who played for the Sinhalese Sports Club. Dodanwela was a right-arm opening bowler. His best season was in 1995-96, when he took 57 wickets at an average of ...

(born 1970), Sri Lankan cricketer and tea company CEO *

Samantha Fernando Samantha Fernando (born Lankaaluge Samantha Fernando on 25 March 1985) is a Sri Lankan cricketer. He is a left-handed batsman and right-arm medium-pace bowler who played for Chilaw Marians Cricket Club. He was born in Chilaw. Fernando made a si ...

(born 1985), Sri Lankan cricketer *

Samantha Sooriyabandara Major General Samantha Sooriyabandara RSP, USP was a Sri Lankan Army Major general and diplomat who commanded the 53 Division. He also served as the Defence Attache in the Sri Lanka Embassy in Washington D.C. Early life and education Sooriya ...

(died 2012), Sri Lankan army officer *

K. V. Samantha Vidyaratna Samantha Vidyaratna (or K.V.Samantha Vidyaratne) is a Sri Lankan politician and a former member of the Parliament of Sri Lanka. He fought over the Uma Oya issue and the transfer of 65,000 acres of land to a Singaporean company. Biography ...

, Sri Lankan politician *

Samantha Vithanage Ovitigala Vithanage Samantha aka Samantha Vithanage (died 2002) was a third year Management student of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka, who pioneered an anti-ragging campaign, and was killed on 7 November 2002 while in a discussi ...

(born c. 1980), student murdered in Sri Lankan university

Fictional characters

* Sheriff Samantha Parker, a character in the 2002 monster comedy action film ''

Eight Legged Freaks ''Eight Legged Freaks'' (originally titled ''Arach Attack'', under which it was released in some parts of Europe and other countries around the world) is a 2002 monster comedy film directed by Ellory Elkayem and starring David Arquette, Kari Wu ...

'' * Samantha, a character in the 2009 American fantasy comedy movie '' 17 Again'' * Samantha, a sentient AI from the movie '' Her'' * Samantha, the silent scorer in the BBC radio comedy panel game

I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue ''I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue'' is a BBC radio comedy panel game. Billed as "the antidote to panel games", it consists of two teams of two comedians being given "silly things to do" by a chairman. The show was launched in April 1972 as a par ...

* Samantha, the protagonist from '' Need for Speed: Underground'' * Samantha, a character the panicked

Olaf Olaf or Olav (, , or British ; Old Norse: ''Áleifr'', ''Ólafr'', ''Óleifr'', ''Anleifr'') is a Scandinavian and German given name. It is presumably of Proto-Norse origin, reconstructed as ''*Anu-laibaz'', from ''anu'' "ancestor, grand-father" ...

searches for in Disney's

Frozen II ''Frozen 2'' (stylized as ''Frozen II'') is a 2019 American computer-animated musical fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. The 58th animated film produced by the stud ...

(before he realizes he doesn't know a Samantha) * Samantha Albertson, a character in the movie '' Now and Then'', played by both

Gaby Hoffmann Gabrielle Mary Antonia HoffmannStated on '' Finding Your Roots'', November 21, 2017 (born January 8, 1982) is an American actress. She initially found success as a child actress, appearing in '' Field of Dreams,'' '' Uncle Buck,'' and '' Sle ...

and

Demi Moore Demi Gene Moore ( ; née Guynes; born November 11, 1962) is an American actress. After making her film debut in 1981, Moore appeared on the soap opera '' General Hospital'' (1982–1984) and subsequently gained recognition as a member of the B ...

Samantha Anderson This is a list of some of the major or minor characters that appear (or have appeared) on the soap opera ''As the World Turns''. A ; Karen Adams : Doe Lang (1968–70) :: Registered nurse. ; Reg Addington : Mark Sullivan(2008–09) ; Bart Al ...

, on the American TV soap opera ''As the World Turns'' * Samantha Baker, in the film ''

Sixteen Candles ''Sixteen Candles'' is a 1984 American coming-of-age comedy film starring Molly Ringwald, Michael Schoeffling, and Anthony Michael Hall. Written and directed by John Hughes in his directorial debut, it was the first in a string of films Hughes ...

'' * Samantha "Sam" Barnes, in the audio drama ''

The Bright Sessions ''The Bright Sessions'' is a science fiction podcast audio drama created by Lauren Shippen and starring Julia Morizawa as the titular Dr. Bright. The podcast takes place in a fictional universe where super-powered individuals, called "atypical ...

'' *

Sami Brady Sami Brady is a fictional character from ''Days of Our Lives'', an American soap opera on the NBC network, portrayed by Alison Sweeney since 1993. The character is first seen as a newborn baby in the episode of October 16, 1984, in which mom Ma ...

, on the American soap opera ''Days of Our Lives'' *

Sammy Jo Carrington Sammy Jo Carrington (born Samantha Josephine Dean; formerly Fallmont) is a fictional character on the ABC television series ''Dynasty'', created by Richard and Esther Shapiro. The niece of central protagonist Krystle Carrington (Linda Evans), Sa ...

, character in the American TV series ''Dynasty'' *

Samantha Carter Samantha "Sam" Carter, USAF is a fictional character in the Canadian–American military science fiction ''Stargate'' franchise. Played by Amanda Tapping, she appears in all three shows in the franchise: ''Stargate SG-1'', ''Stargate Atlantis'', ...

, a witty female scientist and soldier from the television show ''Stargate SG-1'' and related spinoffs, one of the six original main characters. * Samantha Cole, a character in the film ''

Liar Liar ''Liar Liar'' is a 1997 American comedy film directed by Tom Shadyac, and written by Paul Guay and Stephen Mazur. It stars Jim Carrey as a lawyer who built his entire career on lying, but finds himself cursed to speak only the truth for a sin ...

'' * Samantha Darko, in the film ''

Donnie Darko ''Donnie Darko'' is a 2001 American science fiction psychological thriller film written and directed by Richard Kelly and produced by Flower Films. It stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Jena Malone, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Drew Barrymore, Mary McDonnell, ...

'' and its sequel, ''

S. Darko ''S. Darko'', pronounced "S Dot Darko", is a 2009 American science fiction thriller film directed by Chris Fisher and starring Daveigh Chase, Briana Evigan, and Ed Westwick. It is the sequel to the 2001 cult film ''Donnie Darko''. In ''Donnie D ...

'' *

Samantha Fitzgerald Samantha "Sam" Fitzgerald is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera '' Neighbours'', played by Simone Buchanan. She made her first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 21 March 2008. After departing on 25 June 2008, sh ...

, recurring character on the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'' * Samantha "Sam" Giddings, one of eight protagonists from the survival horror game ''

Until Dawn ''Until Dawn'' is a 2015 interactive drama horror video game developed by Supermassive Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 4. Players assume control of eight young adults who have to survive on Blackwood Mo ...

'' * Samantha Groves, in the television show ''

Person of Interest "Person of interest" is a term used by law enforcement in the United States, Canada, and other countries when identifying someone possibly involved in a criminal investigation who has not been arrested or formally accused of a crime. It has no le ...

'', played by

Amy Acker Amy Louise Acker (born December 5, 1976) is an American actress. She is best known for starring as Winifred Burkle and Illyria on the supernatural drama series ''Angel'' (2001–2004), as Kelly Peyton on the action drama series '' Alias'' (200 ...

* Sam Jones, in the Eighth Doctor Adventures novels * Samantha, James' seductive new boss in the 1993 film ''

Look Who's Talking Now ''Look Who's Talking Now'' is a 1993 American romantic comedy film, and the third and final installment in the film series that began with ''Look Who's Talking'' in 1989. It finds John Travolta and Kirstie Alley reprising their roles as James an ...

'' * Samantha Jones, in the television show

Sex and the City ''Sex and the City'' is an American romantic comedy-drama television series created by Darren Star for HBO. An adaptation of Candace Bushnell's newspaper column and 1996 book anthology of the same name, the series premiered in the United St ...

, played by

Kim Cattrall Kim Victoria Cattrall (; born 21 August 1956) is a British-Canadian actress. She is known for her role as Samantha Jones on HBO's ''Sex and the City'' (1998–2004), for which she received five Emmy Award nominations and four Golden Globe Awa ...

* Samantha "Sam" Kanisky, a character on the American television sitcom ''

Gimme a Break ''Gimme a Break!'' is an American television sitcom created by Mort Lachman and Sy Rosen, that aired on NBC for six seasons from October 29, 1981, to May 12, 1987. The series starred Nell Carter as the housekeeper for a widowed police chief ...

'' * Samantha Kingston, in the film ''

Before I Fall ''Before I Fall'' is a 2010 young adult novel written by the American author Lauren Oliver. The novel is written in the first-person perspective of a teenage girl, Samantha Kingston, who is forced to relive the day of her death every day for a ...

'', played by

Zoey Deutch Zoey Francis Chaya Thompson Deutch ( ; born November 10, 1994) is an American actress. She is daughter of director Howard Deutch and actress-director Lea Thompson. She gained recognition for her roles in the film '' Everybody Wants Some!!'', t ...

* Samantha Tracy Lord, in the film ''

High Society High society, sometimes simply society, is the behavior and lifestyle of people with the highest levels of wealth and social status. It includes their related affiliations, social events and practices. Upscale social clubs were open to men based ...

'', played by

Grace Kelly Grace Patricia Kelly (November 12, 1929 – September 14, 1982) was an American actress who, after starring in several significant films in the early to mid-1950s, became Princess of Monaco by marrying Prince Rainier III in April 1956. Kell ...

* Samantha "Sam" Manson, from '' Danny Phantom *

Sam McCall Sam McCall is a fictional character from '' General Hospital'', an American soap opera on the ABC network. Created by Charles Pratt, Jr. and Robert Guza, Jr., the character made her debut on the episode airing on October 1, 2003, portrayed by K ...

, on the American soap opera ''General Hospital'' * Samantha "Sam" Micelli, a character in the TV show '' Who's the Boss?'' * Samantha Milano, a character in the TV sitcom '' Step by Step'' * Sam Mitchell, in the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders'' * Samantha "Sam" Montgomery, in the film ''

A Cinderella Story ''A Cinderella Story'' is a 2004 American teen romantic comedy film directed by Mark Rosman, written by Leigh Dunlap and starring Hilary Duff, Chad Michael Murray, Jennifer Coolidge, and Regina King. A modernization of the classic Cinderella fo ...

'' * Samantha Moore, a character in the 1989 action movie ''

No Holds Barred No holds barred or No Holds Barred may refer to: * ''No Holds Barred'' (1952 film), a film starring The Bowery Boys * ''No Holds Barred'' (1989 film), a film starring Hulk Hogan * ''No Holds Barred'' (Biohazard album) (1997) * ''No Holds Barred ...

'' *

Samantha Mulder Samantha Ann Mulder is a fictional character in the television series ''The X-Files''. She is the younger sister of FBI Special Agent Fox Mulder and the daughter of Teena and Bill Mulder. As a child, Samantha was abducted, ostensibly by aliens, and ...

, Fox Mulder's sister on the TV show ''The X-Files''. Samantha was abducted by aliens before the show's start. *

Samantha Parkington Samantha (or the alternatively Samanta) is primarily used as a feminine given name. It was recorded in England in 1633 in Newton Regis, Warwickshire. It was also recorded in the 18th century in New England, but its etymology is uncertain. Specul ...

, a character in the American Girl series *

Sam Puckett Sam Puckett may refer to: * Sam Puckett (iCarly), a fictional character on the Nickelodeon television series ''iCarly'' * Sam Puckett (Sam & Cat), the same character as she appears on the Nickelodeon television series ''Sam & Cat'' {{Hndis, ...

, from ''iCarly'', played by

Jennette McCurdy Jennette Michelle Faye McCurdy (born June 26, 1992) is an American writer, director, podcaster, singer and former actress. McCurdy's breakthrough role as Sam Puckett in the Nickelodeon sitcom ''iCarly'' (2007–2012) earned her various award ...

Samantha Spade Special Agent Samantha "Sam" Spade is a fictional character portrayed by actress Poppy Montgomery on the CBS television drama ''Without a Trace''. Samantha is a Special Agent in the New York City FBI missing persons case squad led by Special A ...

, in the TV series ''Without a Trace'', played by Poppy Montgomery *

, in the TV show ''Bewitched'' *

Samantha Taggart Samantha "Sam" Taggart is a fictional character on the NBC television drama '' ER''. She is played by actress Linda Cardellini. Linda Cardellini's addition into the main cast opening credits was in the fifth episode of season 10. Precursor ...

, in the TV show ''ER'' * Samantha ''Sammy'', a fictional seal from ''

Putt-Putt Saves the Zoo ''Putt-Putt Saves the Zoo'' is a 1995 video game and the third of seven adventure games in the Putt-Putt series of games developed and published by Humongous Entertainment. The animation style also changed with this game to hand-drawn animation, ...

'' * Samantha Evelyn Cook/Art3mis, Wade Watts' girlfriend in '' Ready Player One (2011)'', '' Ready Player One (2018 movie)'' and eventual wife in the end of '' Ready Player Two (2020)''

References

{{given name English feminine given names Sinhalese masculine given names