Samantha arose in 18th-century America and is usually explained as a feminine form of Samuel, "God has heard", with the fashionable Greek ending -antha, "flower". The friendly witch Samantha Stephens in the 1960s sitcom Bewitched made it a national favorite. Samantha ranked seventh among US girls in 2000, stayed in the top 100 until 2020 and ranks 151st in 2025.