Total births
2,051
Girls' name · since 1972
Samarah
Since 1972, U.S. Social Security records show 2,051 babies named Samarah, peaking in 2006. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #2421
- among girls today
- 2,051
- born since 1972
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 86%
- more common than other girls
Samarah currently ranks #2421 among girls' names in America, with 2,051 babies recorded since 1972.
Social Security Administration records show Samarah recorded 2,051 times among girls since 1972, holding rank #2421 nationally today, ahead of 86% of girls, peaking in the 2000s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1972 to 2025.
- #2421 among girls today
- 2,051 born since 1972
- 2000s peak decade
- 86% more common than other girls
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
Samarah is currently the #2421 girls' name in America, more common than 86% of girls - 2,051 born since 1972, peaking in the 2000s.
- #2421
- among girls today
- 2,051
- born since 1972
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 86%
- more common than other girls
Samarah vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#2421
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 86% of names given to girls today.
2000s
Peak decade
38% of everyone ever named Samarah was born in this single decade.
2006
Single peak year
120 babies were named Samarah in 2006 - its busiest year on record.
How Samarah compares
2,051 Top 22% higher than 78% 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
Samarah's all-time total is 5x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Samarah | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 2,051 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 120 | 48 | 19,840 |
Samarah's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Samarah's full recorded timeline at 2006, 76% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 24% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1972, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2006 peak of 120 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Samarah at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2006
Current rank
#2,421
Active since
1972
Samarah popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1972–2025
- Peak year (2006)
- 120
- Annual births at peak, across 54 years of records
Samarah by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Samarah's strongest decade.
776 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 38% of all-time use.
Samarah births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1970s 11
1970s
11 births
- 1980s 11
1980s
11 births
- 1990s 113
1990s
113 births
- 2000s
2000s
776 births
- 2010s
2010s
724 births
- 2020s
2020s
416 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 776 births (38% of all-time use).
How Samarah 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 Samarah's total volume
Samarah vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Samarah by state
Where Samarah concentrates geographically, total births since 1972
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 269 | 13.1% |
| #2 | Texas | | 208 | 10.1% |
| #3 | Florida | | 125 | 6.1% |
| #4 | New York | | 124 | 6.0% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 45 | 2.2% |
| #6 | Arizona | | 22 | 1.1% |
| #7 | Illinois | | 17 | 0.8% |
| #8 | North Carolina | | 15 | 0.7% |
California share of Samarah's total US births 13.1%
Even split
269 of 2,051 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 15 reporting states.
Samarah appears in 15 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Samarah? ▼
2,051 babies have been named Samarah since 1972. It currently ranks #2421 among girls. The peak year was 2006 with 120 births.
When was Samarah most popular? ▼
Samarah was most popular in the 2000s decade with 776 total births. The single peak year was 2006.
Where is Samarah most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Samarah are California (269 births), Texas (208 births), Florida (125 births).
How long has the name Samarah been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Samarah since 1972 -- 54 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Samarah? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Samantha, Samara, Samira, Sammie, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Samarah's data
- Samarah's usage has stayed within range of its 2000s decade-level peak (776 total births) through the 2020s (416) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Samarahs (269 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 Samarah
Nearby Names Like Samarah
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Samarah
Samantha Girl
#126 592,847 births
Samara Girl
#309 22,764 births
Samira Girl
#774 8,875 births
Sammie Girl
#4389 7,833 births
Samiyah Girl
#1439 5,255 births
Compare Samarah side by side: Samarah vs Samantha Samarah vs Samara Samarah vs Samira
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Samarah
Azeneth #2420
1,573 births · Peak 2003
Tasneem #2422
1,683 births · Peak 2018
Wednesday #2419
1,704 births · Peak 2023
Cypress #2423
1,046 births · Peak 2024
Annalisa #2418
5,975 births · Peak 2005
Ilyana #2424
1,453 births · Peak 2025
Ellamae #2417
2,358 births · Peak 2021
Mckayla #2425
13,225 births · Peak 1998
Data Sources
Data as of July 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, 1972–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Samarah: #2421 Girls' Name - 2,051 Births, Peak 2006." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/samarah. 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 Samarah 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 July 2026.