Find out how popular the last name Samanta is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Samanta.

Samanta, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Samanta surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Samanta in America

Samanta is the 75069th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Samanta surname appeared 257 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Samanta.

We can also compare 2010 data for Samanta to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Samanta

The surname "Samanta" is believed to have originated in India, specifically in the eastern state of Odisha. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "samanta," which means "neighbor" or "one who lives nearby." The name likely emerged during the medieval period, between the 8th and 12th centuries.

In ancient Indian texts, such as the Puranas and the Mahabharata, the term "samanta" was used to refer to feudal lords or chieftains who ruled over small territories and paid allegiance to a central authority. It is possible that the surname was initially adopted by families belonging to this class of rulers or their descendants.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "Samanta" can be found in the Madala Panji, a chronicle of the Gajapati rulers of Odisha, which dates back to the 15th century. The text mentions several individuals with this surname who held administrative positions or were members of the royal court.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name appears in various land grant records and inscriptions from the region, indicating that the Samanta family had established itself as a prominent landholding dynasty in Odisha. Some notable figures from this period include Rama Samanta, a minister in the court of the Gajapati king Prataprudra Deva in the late 16th century, and Govinda Samanta, a renowned poet and scholar who lived in the 17th century.

As the Samanta family gained influence, they began to branch out and establish themselves in other parts of India. One notable example is Acharya Prafulla Chandra Samanta, a renowned educationist and social reformer from Bengal, who lived from 1835 to 1904. He founded several educational institutions and played a crucial role in the Bengali Renaissance movement.

Another prominent figure was Lal Behari Samanta, a freedom fighter and journalist from Odisha, who lived from 1889 to 1954. He was actively involved in the Indian independence movement and served as the editor of several influential newspapers.

In more recent times, Upendra Samanta, born in 1934, was a prominent politician and former Chief Minister of Odisha, serving from 1976 to 1977. He was also a renowned writer and playwright, contributing significantly to the literary landscape of the state.

While the surname "Samanta" has its roots in Odisha, it has now spread across India and can be found among various communities and regions, reflecting the country's rich cultural diversity and historical migrations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Samanta

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Samanta.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Samanta was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Samanta has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Samanta was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Samanta, please contact us.

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