Samara
Girl name · #320 in 2025 · Distinctive
How old is the name Samara? In official American birth records, Samara has been tracked continuously since 1949, giving it 76 years of documented American history.
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. Source: Official national birth records.
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?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Samara is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "distinctive". 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. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Samara is most common in NV (1.6 per 1,000), MD (1.4 per 1,000), NJ (1.1 per 1,000), AZ (1 per 1,000), CA (0.9 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.7 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Samara is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
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
How old is the name Samara?
In official American birth records, the name Samara first appeared in 1949 (over 76 years ago), when 5 newborn girls received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 76 years.
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. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "distinctive".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.