Samara
Borrowed from Russian Сама́ра (Samára).
Every Samara since 1949 — 22,769 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Samara
Samara is moderately common for girls in the United States, ranked #320 in 2025 with 957 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.
Since 1949, 22,769 American babies have been named Samara. Its peak came in 2018, when 1,270 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 2010s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Samara stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Samara year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 957 | #320 | — | — |
| 2024 | 998 | #309 | — | — |
| 2023 | 1,196 | #259 | 5 | #13,815 |
| 2022 | 1,068 | #299 | — | — |
| 2021 | 834 | #374 | — | — |
| 2020 | 886 | #351 | — | — |
| 2019 | 978 | #328 | — | — |
| 2018 | 1,270 | #256 | — | — |
| 2017 | 1,009 | #324 | — | — |
| 2016 | 670 | #475 | — | — |
| 2015 | 452 | #633 | — | — |
| 2014 | 452 | #635 | — | — |
| 2013 | 493 | #583 | — | — |
| 2012 | 516 | #569 | — | — |
| 2011 | 525 | #557 | — | — |
| 2010 | 488 | #602 | — | — |
| 2009 | 594 | #509 | — | — |
| 2008 | 629 | #500 | — | — |
| 2007 | 707 | #456 | — | — |
| 2006 | 948 | #349 | — | — |
| 2005 | 825 | #380 | — | — |
| 2004 | 857 | #365 | — | — |
| 2003 | 656 | #456 | — | — |
| 2002 | 242 | #929 | — | — |
| 2001 | 261 | #883 | — | — |
| 2000 | 248 | #889 | — | — |
| 1995 | 179 | #1,022 | — | — |
| 1990 | 150 | #1,153 | — | — |
| 1985 | 101 | #1,320 | — | — |
| 1980 | 104 | #1,259 | — | — |
| 1975 | 71 | #1,456 | — | — |
| 1970 | 60 | #1,595 | — | — |
| 1965 | 15 | #3,379 | — | — |
| 1960 | 6 | #6,263 | — | — |
| 1955 | 10 | #4,001 | — | — |
| 1950 | 5 | #5,966 | — | — |
| 1945 | — | — | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — | — | — |
| 1935 | — | — | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — | — | — |
| 1925 | — | — | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — | — | — |
| 1915 | — | — | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — | — | — |
| 1905 | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1895 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1885 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
Famous people named Samara
- Samara Weaving Actor · b. 1992
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Samara mean?
Borrowed from Russian Сама́ра (Samára).
How popular is the name Samara in 2025?
Samara ranked #320 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 957 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Samara?
22,769 babies have been named Samara in the United States since 1949, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Samara most popular?
Samara peaked in 2018, when 1,270 newborns received the name.
Is Samara a boy or girl name?
Samara is overwhelmingly a girl's name — 100% of babies with the name.
Is the name Samara rising or falling?
Samara is on the rise — noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.
Who are famous people named Samara?
Well-known people named Samara include Samara Weaving (actor).