Samarah
A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "evening conversationalist".
Name Census estimates that about 1,969 living Americans carry the first name Samarah. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Samarah today is around 15 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Samarah births was 2006 (120 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Samarah. 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.
Key insights
- • Samarah is a relatively new arrival in the SSA data. The average bearer is just 15 years old, meaning it gained most of its traction in the last two decades.
People living today
2.0K
~ 1 in 174,075 Americans
Peak year
2006
120 babies that year
Average age
15
years old
2024 SSA rank
#2,420
Tracked since 1972
Popularity
Samarah: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Samarah from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 776 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2000s peak, Samarah remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Samarah 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 Samarah during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Samarahs live
The SSA's state-level files cover 15 states and territories. California, Texas, New York recorded the most babies named Samarah, while Washington, Oklahoma, Indiana recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 57 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Samarah
The name Samarah is believed to have originated from the Arabic language, with roots tracing back to the Middle East and North Africa regions. It is derived from the Arabic word "samara," which means "fruit" or "fruitful." The name carries connotations of abundance, fertility, and prosperity.
In ancient Arabic texts and poetry, the word "samara" was often used as a metaphor for the beauty and sweetness of life. It symbolized the blessings and bounties of nature, making the name Samarah a poetic and meaningful choice for a child.
While the name's exact origins are not definitively recorded, it is believed to have been in use among Arabic-speaking communities for centuries. One of the earliest known records of the name dates back to the 10th century, when a famous Arabic poet named Samarah al-Basri lived in present-day Iraq.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Samarah. One such figure was Samarah bint Yacoub al-Ghassani (1020-1090), a renowned scholar and poet from the Ghassanid dynasty in the Levant region. Her works were widely influential during the Islamic Golden Age.
Another notable Samarah was Samarah al-Quds (1180-1248), a revered Sufi mystic and spiritual teacher from Jerusalem. Her teachings on divine love and inner purification attracted followers from across the Muslim world.
In the 14th century, Samarah al-Dimashqi (1325-1405) was a celebrated calligrapher and artist from Damascus, known for her intricate and beautiful Arabic calligraphy works.
During the Ottoman Empire, Samarah Pasha (1550-1620) was a high-ranking military commander and statesman, who served as the governor of several provinces in the Middle East.
More recently, Samarah Moussa (1920-2008) was a prominent Egyptian writer and feminist activist, known for her groundbreaking novels and advocacy for women's rights in the Arab world.
These are just a few examples of the diverse individuals who have carried the name Samarah throughout history, each leaving their mark in various fields and contributing to the rich tapestry of cultural heritage associated with this beautiful name.
People
Samarah + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Samarah 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
Samarah: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Samarah?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,969 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Samarah 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 174,075 US residents.
Is Samarah a common name?
We classify Samarah as "Rare". It ranks above 93.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,993 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Samarah most popular?
The single biggest year for Samarah was 2006, when 120 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Samarah is about 15 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Samarah a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Samarah in the SSA data are female. 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.