Samantha

Samantha is an English feminine given name in use since the 17th century that is of uncertain derivation. It is now in popular use worldwide due to various popular culture influences.

Etymology

Some etymologists have suggested Samantha might be a derivative of Semanthe, a similar name likely invented by English playwright Sir John Suckling for a character in his play Aglaura, which was first staged in England in 1637. Semanthe was later used by other English or Irish writers for characters in works of fiction published in the 17th and 18th centuries, including for a character in the 1682 tragic play The Loyal Brother by Irish dramatist Thomas Southerne, a character in the 1690 tragic play The Treacherous Brothers by English playwright George Powell, a character in the 1699 tragic play Friendship Improved by Anglo-Irish dramatist Charles Hopkins, a character in the 1705 tragic play Ulysses by English dramatist Nicholas Rowe, a character in the 1718 historical tragic play Scipo Africanus by English dramatist Charles Beckingham, and in 1758 for an English translation of the works of Françoise d'Aubigné, Marquise de Maintenon. In 1712, the name Semanthe was used in an article in the English periodical The Spectator. Irish poet Mary Barber used the name Samantha in a poem published in her 1734 Poems on Several Occasions.

The etymology of the name Samantha is uncertain. Speculation 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. Another theory is that it is an American English version of the Dutch name Sijmentje, a feminine form of Sijmen, the Dutch form of Sigmund.