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Help[Facts] Samantha
I've written about the possible origin of the name Samantha, expanding on what Cleveland Evans wrote in a comment about the connection to Semanthe from John Suckling's play Aglaura.
https://www.name-pop.com/2024/12/the-meaning-of-name-samantha.html
All it really needs now is an example of a woman born in the 1700s named Samantha who could have been named after a Samuel to support the change from Semantha to Samantha.
https://www.name-pop.com/2024/12/the-meaning-of-name-samantha.html
All it really needs now is an example of a woman born in the 1700s named Samantha who could have been named after a Samuel to support the change from Semantha to Samantha.
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Replies
Thank you for posting this. I love deep dives into the history of names :)
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OP, what is your current earliest record (of a real person, not character) of the spelling “Samantha” or “Samanthe”? I’ve been sifting through familysearch records and most of the earliest ones (1780s - early 19th century) are just from indexes that could have transcribed the wrong name or the right name with the wrong spelling/variant. I’m just curious what your earliest one is that you’ve found.
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I could definitely do with some help on that as all the earliest forms I found were Semanthe or Semantha. The oldest Samantha I could verify was from the 1840 census and this 1830 headstone which is very hard to read https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/129966530/samantha-barrett
There's also a Trumbull Ohio tax record from
1823 that has a Samantha Smith. But everything I can check before that is too hard to read or actually Semantha. I have not been thorough, there's likely an earlier one.
There's also a Trumbull Ohio tax record from
1823 that has a Samantha Smith. But everything I can check before that is too hard to read or actually Semantha. I have not been thorough, there's likely an earlier one.
This message was edited 1/4/2025, 2:34 AM
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Source? The meaning could be similar to what you posted if one accepts that Samantha is derived from Samuel.
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One of the more common etymologies given for Samantha in 20th century baby name books was "Aramaic: Listener." The earliest example of this I can find on short notice is from "Name Your Baby" by Lareina Rule, 1973 edition, original publication 1963. Once something like this is in print it gets copied in other baby name books -- for example "A Treasury of Baby Names" by Alan Benjamin (1983) and "Parents' Book of Baby Names" by Martin Kelly (1985) give the same derivation. I wish I knew who first came up with this idea.
An online English to Aramaic dictionary I have found yields "שָׁמְעָא" (Sham'a) as Aramaic for "listener." It's probable someone looking for an origin for Samantha in a Semitic language (so it could be related to Samuel) found that and wrongly assumed it was the origin of Samantha. Given Retrospectre's research, an alternation of the literary name Semanthe under the influence of Samuel and -antha is more plausible.
An online English to Aramaic dictionary I have found yields "שָׁמְעָא" (Sham'a) as Aramaic for "listener." It's probable someone looking for an origin for Samantha in a Semitic language (so it could be related to Samuel) found that and wrongly assumed it was the origin of Samantha. Given Retrospectre's research, an alternation of the literary name Semanthe under the influence of Samuel and -antha is more plausible.
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I had never given much thought to the name Samantha. For some reason I assumed it was invented by an author. Due to the possible origins that have been shown in a way it was. I am curious now about the invention of Semanthe and why it was reused by so many authors. There have been many names invented by authors and not used by other authors. So why was Semanthe used so many times? (These are not all questions in need of answers, I am thinking out loud as I go down the Samantha rabbit hole).
I will also say that it has always reminded me of the Greek Psamathe.
Thank you for your research and also thank you to Cleveland Evans for his on this subject.
I will also say that it has always reminded me of the Greek Psamathe.
Thank you for your research and also thank you to Cleveland Evans for his on this subject.
This message was edited 1/3/2025, 12:57 PM
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Here are my non-expert thoughts after reading about the plays and literature that used Semanthe. These plays were sort of like how Terry Pratchett writes fantasy. They seemed to use a classical Greek or Persian setting and characters to tell new stories about current (1600 and 1700s) politics and social commentary. Or like the Bridgerton TV show, historical accuracy is not required or expected. But I'm sure we will see more Regency themed media using the name Hyacinth even if it wasn't a common woman's name during the period. It's just become a name that now 'sounds appropriate for the era' and so will be chosen more often.
I came across other invented names too. I'm pretty sure Cleomelia was invented, but seems believable. Some invented names just sound so convincing as established or historical names. It's the reverse Tiffany problem.
I came across other invented names too. I'm pretty sure Cleomelia was invented, but seems believable. Some invented names just sound so convincing as established or historical names. It's the reverse Tiffany problem.
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Out of curiosity, I checked the names from those plays and found one exception to them using names inspired by ancient Greek or ancient Persian names - in the play "The Loyal Brother" (from 1682) about half of the characters' names are more or less accurate to 17th-century Persia. I've wondered why this particular play had more accurate names and found that it's based on a French book from 1676, "Tachmas, prince of Persia", though several names (along with the plot itself) were actually changed from the book version.
This is the book version, translated into English:
https://ota.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/repository/xmlui/handle/20.500.12024/A62415 (click Preview under the second file)
I used this article about the play to compare it with the book:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/348204519_Thomas_Southerne's_Muslim_Settings_and_the_Politics_of_the_Succession_Crisis_A_Critical_Study_of_The_Loyal_Brother
As far as I can tell, the book version uses names accurate to those used in 17th-century Persia (with the exception of Begona, as this name seems to be based on Begum, a female title). Semanthe's counterpart is called Negara, for example. But the biggest surprise to me was that the name Sunamire actually came from the book, because I thought it was made up for the play. Now I'm wondering if it's also based on a genuine 17th-century Persian name.
This is the book version, translated into English:
https://ota.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/repository/xmlui/handle/20.500.12024/A62415 (click Preview under the second file)
I used this article about the play to compare it with the book:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/348204519_Thomas_Southerne's_Muslim_Settings_and_the_Politics_of_the_Succession_Crisis_A_Critical_Study_of_The_Loyal_Brother
As far as I can tell, the book version uses names accurate to those used in 17th-century Persia (with the exception of Begona, as this name seems to be based on Begum, a female title). Semanthe's counterpart is called Negara, for example. But the biggest surprise to me was that the name Sunamire actually came from the book, because I thought it was made up for the play. Now I'm wondering if it's also based on a genuine 17th-century Persian name.
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In doing some research on the Greek mythological name Psamathe I am seeing it as Psamanthe(perhaps by error of translation from the Greek) in old books. The similarity to Semanthe or Samanthe becomes more striking.
In Bell's New Pantheon written in 1790 she is called Psamanthe. I am looking for earlier sources but have just started.
An earlier source is this book from 1653. https://www.google.com/books/edition/Photiou_Myriobiblon_e_bibliotheke_Photii/ZW0dhUNjuQoC?hl=en&gbpv=0
In Bell's New Pantheon written in 1790 she is called Psamanthe. I am looking for earlier sources but have just started.
An earlier source is this book from 1653. https://www.google.com/books/edition/Photiou_Myriobiblon_e_bibliotheke_Photii/ZW0dhUNjuQoC?hl=en&gbpv=0
This message was edited 1/3/2025, 8:12 PM
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Psamathe's story is also told in Ovid's Metamorphoses, so Suckling would have been familiar with her story.
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That's a form I didn't check, looks promising. Could some of the other names from Suckling's play have a similar source? They are Aglaura, Thersames, Orbella, Ariaspes, Ziriff and Zorannes. And Semanthe and Iolas, but I recognize Iolas. They are supposed to be Persian I think.
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Ariaspes is an ancient Persian name (presumably Hellenized):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ariaspes
https://www.behindthename.com/name/ariaspes/submitted
Thersames might have got its ending from the name Arsames:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arsames_(disambiguation)
https://www.behindthename.com/name/arsames/submitted
By the way, I've found this website, according to which the name Thersames is actually spelled Thersamnes:
https://cord.ung.edu/suck1agl.html
The name Ariaramnes has the same ending:
https://www.behindthename.com/name/ariaramnes/submitted
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ariaramnes
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ariaspes
https://www.behindthename.com/name/ariaspes/submitted
Thersames might have got its ending from the name Arsames:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arsames_(disambiguation)
https://www.behindthename.com/name/arsames/submitted
By the way, I've found this website, according to which the name Thersames is actually spelled Thersamnes:
https://cord.ung.edu/suck1agl.html
The name Ariaramnes has the same ending:
https://www.behindthename.com/name/ariaramnes/submitted
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ariaramnes
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You have done an incredible amount of research and I really appreciate this. You also find the spellings Semanthy and Samanthy in early records.
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Thank you! I was hoping you'd be able to confirm it and write the article you mentioned on Samantha for your newspaper.
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I've found these examples of Samanthas preceding Semanthas on Find A Grave: https://findagrave.com/memorial/search?firstname=Samantha&middlename=&lastname=&birthyear=1600&birthyearfilter=after&deathyear=1799&deathyearfilter=25&location=&locationId=&bio=&linkedToName=&plot=&memorialid=&mcid=&datefilter=&orderby=b&fuzzyNames=true&page=1#sr-247602580
Also, I visited your blog and I like it, especially your graphs! :)
Also, I visited your blog and I like it, especially your graphs! :)
This message was edited 12/29/2024, 12:34 PM
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Thank you! The graphs are busy, but fun to make.
I was biased towards including examples where I could verify the spelling on the original document. The Samantha (Brush) Robinson on that search had Semanthe on her tombstone. Appreciate you looking though!
I was biased towards including examples where I could verify the spelling on the original document. The Samantha (Brush) Robinson on that search had Semanthe on her tombstone. Appreciate you looking though!
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