Samantha

English

Etymology

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”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /səˈmænθə/
  • (æ-tensing) IPA^(key): [səˈmɛənθə]

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

Proper noun

Samantha

1. A female given name from Hebrew.
   • 1876, Phebe Ann Hanaford, Women of the Century, page 525:

     These country girls, as they were called, had queer names, which added to the singularity of their appearance. Samantha, Triphena, Plumy, Leafy, Ruhamah, Lovey, and Florilla were among them.

   • 1888, Marietta Holley, Josiah Allen's Wife as a P.A. and P.I.: Samantha at the Centennial, page 577:

     "Its name is Samantha Jo, after Josiah and me. - - - If it had been a boy, we was layin' out to call it Josiah Sam, - Sam for Samantha."

   • 1967, Howard Fast, Samantha, I Books, published 2004, →ISBN, page 42:

     "Middle of the depression - who's going to give a kid a nutty name like Samantha? Today's another matter, but around then, from what I hear, people weren't thinking about these stylish names."

   • 1985, Bobbie Ann Mason, In Country, Harper&Row, →ISBN, pages 182, 183:

     But here's my favorite name: Samuel. It's from the Bible. If it's a girl, name it Samantha. That sounds like something in a prayer, doesn't it? I think it's a name in the Chronicles. I've been reading the Bible every night." - - -
     She found the Book of Chronicles and scanned it. - - - There was no Samantha in either the first or the second book of the Chronicles.

Usage notes

• Popular in the English-speaking world from the 1970s to the 2000s.

Related terms

• Sam
• Sammy
• Sami
• Sammie

Translations

female given name

• Arabic: سامانثا f
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 薩曼莎／萨曼莎 (Sàmànshā)

• Esperanto: Samanta
• French: Samantha (fr) f
• German: Samantha f
• Greek: Σαμάνθα (el) f (Samántha)
• Hindi: समैन्था (samainthā)
• Italian: Samanta (it) f
• Japanese: サマンサ (Samansa)
• Korean: 사만다 (Samanda), 서맨사 (Seomaensa)
• Latvian: Samanta f
• Polish: Samanta (pl) f
• Portuguese: Samanta (pt) f
• Russian: Сама́нта (ru) f (Samánta)
• Spanish: Samanta (es) f

Anagrams

• manastha

German

Etymology

Borrowed from English Samantha in the 1960s.

Proper noun

Samantha

1. a female given name from English

Tagalog

Etymology

Borrowed from English, of uncertain origin.

Pronunciation

• (Standard Tagalog) IPA^(key): /saˈmanta/ [sɐˈman̪.t̪ɐ]
• Rhymes: -anta
• Syllabification: Sa‧man‧tha

Proper noun

Samantha (Baybayin spelling ᜐᜋᜈ᜔ᜆ)

1. a female given name from English, popular in the Philippines since the 1990s or 2000s