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The short answer
Samara is a feminine name used in English and Portuguese. Behind the Name describes it this way: "Possibly derived from the name of the city of Samarra (in Iraq) or Samara (in Russia). The former appears in the title of the novel Appointment in Samarra (1934) by John O'Hara, which refers to an ancient Babylonian legend about a man trying to evade death." It ranked #320 for girls in the United States in 2025.
Meaning and etymology
According to Behind the Name, possibly derived from the name of the city of Samarra (in Iraq) or Samara (in Russia). The former appears in the title of the novel Appointment in Samarra (1934) by John O'Hara, which refers to an ancient Babylonian legend about a man trying to evade death. The entry lists its usage as English (Modern), Portuguese (Brazilian).
Editorial confidence: likely
Popularity
Samara ranked #320 for girls in the United States in 2025. The figure comes from the Social Security Administration's national file for that year.
| Region | Year | Rank | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 2025 | #320 | ssa-2025 |
If you like this name
Names that Behind the Name files under the same origin (English) and that sit near Samara in the 2025 American rankings.
Similar by origin
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Samara mean?
Behind the Name does not give Samara a one-word meaning. It describes the name as follows: possibly.
Is Samara a popular name?
Samara ranked #320 for girls in the United States in 2025. (Social Security Administration data).
Is Samara a boy's or a girl's name?
In the 2025 SSA data Samara appears in the girls' list; Behind the Name labels it feminine.
Sources
- Behind the Name: Meaning, origin and history of the name Samara — supports meaning, usage, pronunciation, variants.
- U.S. Social Security Administration: Popular Baby Names — national data, year of birth 2025 — supports popularity.
