Samara
Girl name · #320 in 2025 · Uniqueness 49/100
Samara ranks #320 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 957 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #633, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 1,881 girls born in 2025 was named Samara.
Babies named Samara per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
The 76-year story
Samara first appears in the Social Security records in 1949, when 5 girls received the name. Its peak came in 2018, when 1,270 girls were named Samara — good for #256 that year. Today's parents encounter it on its way down the popularity curve, which for many parents is exactly the appeal. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Samara against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Samara in class?
Samara scores 49 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "distinctive" band. That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Samara is most common
Geography matters for names, and Samara is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Samaras were CA (153), TX (129), FL (75), NY (60), IL (38). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Samara
Statistically, parents drawn to Samara tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Xiomara, Zara, Yara, Samira, and Chiara.
XiomaraZaraYaraSamiraChiaraMiraMaraSiena
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Samara | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 957 | #320 |
| 2024 | 998 | #309 |
| 2023 | 1,196 | #259 |
| 2022 | 1,068 | #299 |
| 2021 | 834 | #374 |
| 2020 | 886 | #351 |
| 2019 | 978 | #328 |
| 2018 | 1,270 | #256 |
| 2017 | 1,009 | #324 |
| 2016 | 670 | #474 |
| 2015 | 452 | #633 |
| 2014 | 452 | #633 |
| 2013 | 493 | #583 |
| 2012 | 516 | #568 |
| 2011 | 525 | #557 |
| 2010 | 488 | #600 |
| 2009 | 594 | #509 |
| 2008 | 629 | #500 |
| 2007 | 707 | #456 |
| 2006 | 948 | #349 |
| 2005 | 825 | #380 |
| 2004 | 857 | #365 |
| 2003 | 656 | #456 |
| 2002 | 242 | #923 |
| 2001 | 261 | #879 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Samara a popular girl name?
Samara ranked #320 among girls in 2025 with 957 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #633.
When was the name Samara most popular?
Samara peaked in 2018, when 1,270 American girls received the name (ranked #256 that year). Since 2018 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Samara?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 1,881 newborn American girls was named Samara. It scores 49/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "distinctive".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.