Possibly of Hebrew origin.
Feminine form of the name Samuel.
First record of the name has been in England, in 1633.
Although etymology is uncertain, several sources mention that it is possibly a combination of the masculine name Samuel with the name suffix “antha”, which derives from the Greek word “ανθός”, meaning flower.
It was a very rare name until 1873, when the publication of a series of books by Marietta Holley, featuring the adventures of lady Samantha.
Still, it was not commonly used in the United States, until the success of the TV comedy “Bewitched”, turned it into a quite popular name, due to the main character’s name, Samantha Stephens.
Samantha is a popular name in Mexico and it is ranked #33 in the United States.
Other forms of the name are: Samanta, Sam, Sammy, Samanthy, Semantha.
Famous bearers are Samantha Munro, Samantha Fox, Samantha Womack, Samantha Morton, Samantha Smith, Samantha Jade.