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Very Rare

Saman

An Arabic masculine name meaning "high position" or "heavenly".

Name Census estimates that about 395 living Americans carry the first name Saman. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 70.9% of registrations being male. The average person named Saman today is around 29 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Saman births was 2001 (24 babies).

This page is the full Name Census profile for Saman. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.

People living today

395

~ 1 in 867,733 Americans

Peak year

2001

24 babies that year

Average age

29

years old

2024 SSA rank

#12,050

Tracked since 1979

Gender

Gender distribution for Saman

Saman is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 406 total registrations, 288 (70.9%) were male and 118 (29.1%) were female.

71% male
29% female
Male288 (70.9%)Female118 (29.1%)

Saman as a male name

  • Ranked #12,050 in 2024
  • 6 male births in 2024
  • Peak: 1990 (16 births)

Saman as a female name

  • Ranked #19,492 in 2006
  • 5 female births in 2006
  • Peak: 2001 (18 births)

Popularity

Saman: popularity over time

The SSA tracks Saman from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 145 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.

Babies born per year

MaleFemale
06121824198019851990199520002005201020152020

Decades

Saman by decade

The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Saman during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.

DecadeMaleFemaleTotal
1970s909
1980s801797
1990s9154145
2000s5447101
2010s48048
2020s606

Geography

Where Samans live

Origin

Meaning and history of Saman

The name Saman has its roots in various ancient cultures and languages. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "samana," meaning "equal" or "balanced." This connection can be traced back to the Indian subcontinent and the early days of Hinduism and Buddhism.

One of the earliest recorded references to the name Saman can be found in the Vedas, the sacred texts of Hinduism. In the Rigveda, one of the four canonical sacred texts, the term "saman" is used to refer to specific melodies or chants used in Vedic rituals. This suggests that the name may have been associated with religious practices and spiritual traditions in ancient India.

The name also has connections to the Persian language and culture. In Persian, the word "saman" means "belongings" or "possessions." This could indicate that the name may have been given to individuals who were considered valuable or treasured within their communities.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Saman. One of the earliest recorded figures was Saman Khuda, a renowned Persian poet who lived in the 11th century AD. His poetic works were highly influential in the development of Persian literature and are still studied and appreciated today.

Another significant figure was Saman Gunanidhi, a Buddhist scholar and teacher who lived in the 5th century AD in India. He was known for his deep understanding of Buddhist philosophy and his contributions to the preservation and dissemination of Buddhist teachings.

In the Islamic world, Saman al-Muhammadi was a prominent scholar and jurist who lived in the 9th century AD. He was highly respected for his knowledge of Islamic law and his contributions to the development of legal scholarship within the Islamic tradition.

During the Middle Ages, Saman ibn Ibrahim al-Muhallabi was a notable Arabic poet and literary figure who lived in the 10th century AD. His poetic works were widely acclaimed and celebrated for their eloquence and depth of emotion.

In more recent times, Saman Kunan was a Thai Navy SEAL who tragically lost his life during the rescue of the Wild Boars soccer team from the Tham Luang cave in 2018. His sacrifice and bravery in the face of adversity made him a national hero in Thailand.

These are just a few examples of the many individuals throughout history who have borne the name Saman. While its origins and meanings may vary across cultures and languages, the name has undoubtedly left an indelible mark on the tapestry of human civilization.

People

Saman + last name combinations

How many people share a full name with Saman as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.

Related

Other names starting with S

Other first names starting with S with a similar number of bearers.

FAQ

Saman: questions and answers

How many people in the U.S. are named Saman?

Name Census puts the figure at roughly 395 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Saman going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 867,733 US residents.

Is Saman a common name?

We classify Saman as "Very Rare". It ranks above 82.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 406 babies have been registered with this name.

When was Saman most popular?

The single biggest year for Saman was 2001, when 24 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Saman is about 29 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.

Is Saman a male name?

Yes, 70.9% of people registered as Saman in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.

Where does this data come from?

First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.

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Saman

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