Total births
592,847
Girls' name · since 1880
Samantha
Samantha has 592,847 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1990 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #126
- among girls today
- 592,847
- born since 1880
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 99.3%
- more common than other girls
592,847 babies have been named Samantha since 1880, making it today's #126 girls' name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Samantha has been recorded 592,847 times among girls since 1880, currently ranked #126 nationally and more common than 99.3% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 1990s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #126 among girls today
- 592,847 born since 1880
- 1990s peak decade
- 99.3% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Samantha is currently the #126 girls' name in America, more common than 99.3% of girls - 592,847 born since 1880, peaking in the 1990s.
- #126
- among girls today
- 592,847
- born since 1880
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 99.3%
- more common than other girls
Samantha vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#126
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 99.3% of names given to girls today.
1990s
Peak decade
38% of everyone ever named Samantha was born in this single decade.
1990
Single peak year
25,868 babies were named Samantha in 1990 - its busiest year on record.
How Samantha compares
592,847 Top 0% higher than 100% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Samantha's all-time total is 1,552x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Samantha | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 592,847 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 25,868 | 48 | 19,840 |
Samantha's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Samantha splits its recorded history at 1953: 100% of all births land in the more recent half, 0% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1903 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1990 peak of 25,868 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Samantha at a glance
Top 1,000 girls' namePeak year
1990
Current rank
#126
Active since
1880
Samantha popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1990)
- 25,868
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Samantha popularity over time - boys
1,205 total births recorded since 1965 (Samantha as boys' name)
Samantha by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1990s was Samantha's strongest decade.
224,023 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 38% of all-time use.
Samantha births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 159
1880s
159 births
- 1890s 174
1890s
174 births
- 1900s 135
1900s
135 births
- 1910s 181
1910s
181 births
- 1920s 186
1920s
186 births
- 1930s 175
1930s
175 births
- 1940s 292
1940s
292 births
- 1950s 486
1950s
486 births
- 1960s 11,027
1960s
11,027 births
- 1970s 28,906
1970s
28,906 births
- 1980s
1980s
121,124 births
- 1990s
1990s
224,023 births
- 2000s
2000s
134,313 births
- 2010s 56,929
2010s
56,929 births
- 2020s 14,737
2020s
14,737 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 224,023 births (38% of all-time use).
How Samantha compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Samantha's total volume
Samantha vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Samantha by state
Where Samantha concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 80,251 | 13.5% |
| #2 | Texas | | 47,146 | 8.0% |
| #3 | New York | | 46,727 | 7.9% |
| #4 | Florida | | 29,719 | 5.0% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 28,290 | 4.8% |
| #6 | Pennsylvania | | 26,228 | 4.4% |
| #7 | Ohio | | 24,955 | 4.2% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 21,648 | 3.7% |
California share of Samantha's total US births 13.5%
Even split
80,251 of 592,847 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Samantha appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Samantha? ▼
592,847 babies have been named Samantha since 1880. It currently ranks #126 among girls. The peak year was 1990 with 25,868 births.
When was Samantha most popular? ▼
Samantha was most popular in the 1990s decade with 224,023 total births. The single peak year was 1990.
Where is Samantha most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Samantha are California (80,251 births), Texas (47,146 births), New York (46,727 births).
How long has the name Samantha been used? ▼
Samantha has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Samantha? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Samara, Samira, Sammie, Samiyah, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Samantha's data
- Samantha's decade-level peak was the 1990s (224,023 total births); usage has since declined to 14,737 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Samanthas (80,251 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Samantha
Nearby Names Like Samantha
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Samantha
Samara Girl
#309 22,764 births
Samira Girl
#774 8,875 births
Sammie Girl
#4389 7,833 births
Samiyah Girl
#1439 5,255 births
Samaria Girl
#1726 4,511 births
Compare Samantha side by side: Samantha vs Samara Samantha vs Samira Samantha vs Sammie
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Samantha
Rylee #125
69,010 births · Peak 2010
Margot #127
25,568 births · Peak 2025
Ashley #124
859,857 births · Peak 1987
Catalina #128
33,009 births · Peak 2025
Cecilia #123
111,511 births · Peak 2025
Juliette #129
40,981 births · Peak 2025
Melanie #122
262,640 births · Peak 1972
Esther #130
271,234 births · Peak 1918
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Samantha: #126 Girls' Name - 592,847 Births, Peak 1990." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/samantha. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Samantha draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.