Samara
Explanations differ: name references point to Arabic samar, used of talk in the evening, and to a Hebrew root meaning to guard. It is also a Russian city and a botanical term for a winged seed.
Samara in 2025
Samara was given to 957 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 678th most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 3,464 babies born.
The history of Samara
Samara reached its highest point in 2018, when 1,270 babies were given the name, ranking 543rd that year.
Across the 77 years of records since 1949, 22,769 babies have been named Samara. Half of them were born before 2012, which places the name's centre of gravity with Generation Z.
Samara by decade
| Decade | Babies named Samara | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1940s | 5 | 9,045 |
| 1950s | 68 | 6,165 |
| 1960s | 180 | 2,988 |
| 1970s | 898 | 1,780 |
| 1980s | 1,082 | 1,842 |
| 1990s | 1,772 | 1,655 |
| 2000s | 5,967 | 687 |
| 2010s | 6,853 | 543 |
| 2020s | 5,944 | 547 |
Where Samara is heading
Samara has risen 112% over the past decade, from 452 babies in 2015 to 957 in 2025.
Names like Samara
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Samara.