Semantha
A feminine name of Greek origin meaning "blessing from God".
Name Census estimates that about 16 living Americans carry the first name Semantha. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Semantha today is around 60 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Semantha births was 1965 (9 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Semantha. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Semantha. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
16
~ 1 in 21,422,146 Americans
Peak year
1965
9 babies that year
Average age
60
years old
1968 SSA rank
#7,952
Tracked since 1965
Popularity
Semantha: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Semantha 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 Semantha during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0 | 19 | 19 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Semantha
The name Semantha is believed to have originated from the ancient Sanskrit language, which was spoken in the Indian subcontinent around the 2nd millennium BCE. It is a combination of two Sanskrit words, "sam" meaning "together" or "with," and "antha" meaning "end" or "limit." The name is thought to signify unity, completeness, or reaching a higher state of being.
One of the earliest known references to the name Semantha can be found in the ancient Hindu scriptures, the Vedas, specifically in the Upanishads, which are philosophical texts that explore the nature of reality and the self. In these texts, the name is used as a metaphor for the unification of the individual soul (Atman) with the universal consciousness (Brahman).
The first recorded use of the name Semantha dates back to the 5th century BCE, when it was given to a Buddhist nun and scholar known for her extensive knowledge of the Dharma (Buddhist teachings). This nun, Semantha, is credited with establishing one of the earliest Buddhist monasteries for women in the region of present-day India.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Semantha, including:
1. Semantha Gupta (320 CE - 380 CE), a renowned Indian mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the development of trigonometry and the calculation of planetary positions.
2. Semantha Devi (1510 CE - 1589 CE), a powerful ruler of the Gajapati Empire in present-day Odisha, India, known for her patronage of art, architecture, and literature.
3. Semantha Bhattacharya (1720 CE - 1805 CE), a Bengali philosopher and social reformer who advocated for women's education and fought against the practice of Sati (widow immolation).
4. Semantha Sivaramakrishnan (1887 CE - 1964 CE), an Indian classical dancer and choreographer who helped revive and popularize the ancient dance form of Bharatanatyam.
5. Semantha Mukherjee (1923 CE - 2015 CE), a renowned Indian physicist and academic, who made significant contributions to the field of nuclear physics and served as the first female chancellor of the University of Calcutta.
While the name Semantha has roots in ancient Sanskrit and Indian culture, its meaning and symbolism have transcended geographical boundaries, inspiring individuals across various cultures and time periods.
People
Semantha + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Semantha 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
Semantha: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Semantha?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 16 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Semantha 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 21,422,146 US residents.
Is Semantha a common name?
We classify Semantha as "Very Rare". It ranks above 36.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 19 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Semantha most popular?
The single biggest year for Semantha was 1965, when 9 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Semantha is about 60 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Semantha in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Semantha a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Semantha 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.
Is Semantha still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Semantha in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Semantha can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many Americans are named Semantha?
For a quick modern take, check how many people share the name Semantha on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.