Samari
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly meaning "protected by God".
Name Census estimates that about 2,098 living Americans carry the first name Samari. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 68.2% of registrations being female. The average person named Samari today is around 15 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Samari births was 2008 (130 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Samari. 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
- • Samari 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
2.1K
~ 1 in 163,372 Americans
Peak year
2008
130 babies that year
Average age
15
years old
2024 SSA rank
#2,396
Tracked since 1990
Gender
Gender distribution for Samari
Samari is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 2,122 total registrations, 675 (31.8%) were male and 1,447 (68.2%) were female.
Samari as a male name
- Ranked #3,666 in 2024
- 31 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2004 (50 births)
Samari as a female name
- Ranked #2,396 in 2024
- 76 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2007 (93 births)
Popularity
Samari: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Samari from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 906 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2000s peak, Samari remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Samari 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 Samari during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Samaris live
The SSA's state-level files cover 17 states and territories. Florida, Texas, California recorded the most babies named Samari, while Arkansas, Mississippi, Missouri recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 33 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Samari
The name Samari has its origins in the ancient Sanskrit language of India, dating back to around the 5th century BCE. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "samara," which means "battle" or "war." This suggests that the name may have been given to warriors or soldiers in ancient India.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Samari can be found in the epic Hindu text, the Mahabharata. Here, it is used as the name of a fierce warrior who fought alongside the Pandava brothers in the great battle of Kurukshetra. This association with bravery and martial prowess may have contributed to the name's enduring popularity.
In the centuries that followed, the name Samari spread across various regions of the Indian subcontinent, with variations in spelling and pronunciation emerging in different languages and cultures. For instance, in Tamil, the name is sometimes written as "Samarai," while in Bengali, it may be spelled as "Shomari."
One of the earliest notable bearers of the name Samari was Samari Gowda (1506-1572), a revered ruler of the Gowda dynasty in what is now the state of Karnataka, India. Known for his military achievements and administrative reforms, Samari Gowda's reign was marked by prosperity and stability.
Another famous figure with the name Samari was Samari Suren (1875-1943), an Armenian writer and poet who played a significant role in the Armenian literary renaissance of the early 20th century. His works often explored themes of national identity and the struggles of the Armenian people.
In more recent times, Samari Parthiban (1958-present) is a renowned Indian actor, director, and screenwriter who has made significant contributions to the Tamil film industry. He is particularly known for his thought-provoking and socially conscious films that explore complex human emotions and societal issues.
Samari Souza (1981-present) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist and former UFC fighter who enjoyed a successful career in the sport. Known for his aggressive fighting style and knockout power, he was a fan favorite during his time in the octagon.
Lastly, Samari Rolle (1976-present) is a former American football cornerback who played in the NFL for 12 seasons, primarily with the Tennessee Titans and Baltimore Ravens. He was a two-time Pro Bowl selection and helped the Ravens win Super Bowl XXXV in 2001.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Samari
People
Samari + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Samari 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
Samari: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Samari?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 2,098 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Samari 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 163,372 US residents.
Is Samari a common name?
We classify Samari as "Rare". It ranks above 93.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 2,122 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Samari most popular?
The single biggest year for Samari was 2008, when 130 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Samari is about 15 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Samari a female name?
Yes, 68.2% of people registered as Samari 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.