Sammantha
Feminine variant of the Hebrew name Samuel, meaning "name of God".
Name Census estimates that about 1,920 living Americans carry the first name Sammantha. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Sammantha today is around 30 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Sammantha births was 1991 (121 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Sammantha. 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
1.9K
~ 1 in 178,518 Americans
Peak year
1991
121 babies that year
Average age
30
years old
2019 SSA rank
#11,230
Tracked since 1965
Popularity
Sammantha: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Sammantha from the 1960s through to the 2010s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 1,007 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
Decades
Sammantha 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 Sammantha during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Sammanthas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 14 states and territories. California, Texas, Washington recorded the most babies named Sammantha, while Missouri, Massachusetts, Colorado recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 52 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Sammantha
The name Sammantha is a feminine given name of English origin, derived from the Hebrew name Samuel, meaning "name of God" or "God heard." It emerged as a variant spelling of the more common name Samantha in the early 20th century.
The earliest recorded use of the name Sammantha dates back to the late 19th century, although it remained relatively uncommon until the mid-20th century. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Sammantha Smith, an American schoolgirl who gained international attention in the 1980s for her peace activism and her correspondence with Soviet leader Yuri Andropov.
In ancient times, the name Samuel, from which Sammantha is derived, was borne by the biblical prophet and judge of the same name, who played a crucial role in the establishment of the Hebrew monarchy by anointing both Saul and David as kings of Israel.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have carried the name Sammantha. Sammantha Ronson, born in 1977, is a British DJ, singer-songwriter, and music producer, known for her work with artists such as Lindsay Lohan and Wale. Sammantha Shad, born in 1977, is a Canadian singer-songwriter and TV personality who has released several albums and appeared on various TV shows.
Sammantha Allen, born in 1982, is an American writer and transgender rights activist, known for her work on LGBTQ+ issues and her book "Real Queer America: LGBT Stories from Red States." Sammantha Mugatsia, born in 1985, is a Kenyan long-distance runner who has represented her country in international competitions, including the Olympic Games.
Sammantha Cason, born in 1993, is an American actress and model who has appeared in various TV shows and films, such as "NCIS: New Orleans" and "Embattled." While not an exhaustive list, these individuals showcase the diversity of fields and backgrounds in which the name Sammantha has been represented throughout history.
People
Sammantha + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Sammantha 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
Sammantha: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Sammantha?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,920 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Sammantha 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 178,518 US residents.
Is Sammantha a common name?
We classify Sammantha 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, 1,985 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Sammantha most popular?
The single biggest year for Sammantha was 1991, when 121 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Sammantha is about 30 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Sammantha a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Sammantha 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.