Samantha

Samantha is a feminine given name. Origins The name was recorded in the 18th century in New England, but its etymology is uncertain. Speculation (without evidence) has suggested an origin from the masculine given name Samuel and anthos, the Greek word for "flower". One theory is that it was a feminine form of Samuel to which the already existing feminine name Anthea was added. Popularity "Samantha" remained a rare name until the 1873 publication of the first novel in a series by Marietta Holley, featuring the adventures of a woman named "Samantha", wife of Josiah Allen. The series led to the rise in the name's popularity, ranking among the top 1,000 names for girls in the United States from 1880, the earliest year for which records are available, to 1902. The name was out of fashion in the United States for the majority of the first half of the 20th century but reappeared among the top 1,000 names for girls in 1958, when it ranked in 998th position, and in 1959, when it ranked in 993rd place. Those rankings followed the release of the 1956 film High Society, in which Grace Kelly played a character with the middle name Samantha. The movie introduced a song titled "I Love You, Samantha" by the famed composer Cole Porter.