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I’ve seen several Samanthas in Canadian records from the 1830s. It looks like this spelling was beginning to be popularized by then. examples include Samantha Ann Crandle, married 1835 in London, Ontario and Samantha Coldgrove, married 1833 in Bytown, Ontario. It’s hard to find records from this time in the States or even earlier records anywhere just since they don’t seem to be photoscanned and put online.
After some research, the earliest one I’ve been able to find and confirm as saying “Samantha” is Avalina Samantha Abell, who was born in 1797 in Bozrah, Connecticut. Just looking through the profiles and sources on FamilySearch, it looks like her father was Simeon Jr., his father was Simeon Sr., and Simeon Sr.’s father was Samuel, and Simeon Sr. also had a brother called Samuel. So Avalina’s father would have had both his grandfather’s name and uncle’s name be Samuel, so it’s very possible she was named for either or both of them. Additionally, it seems like naming new children after family members was common in this family — many children given their mother’s name or their grandfather’s name, etc. Avalina Samantha Abell’s 1812 marriage is also in this record (with the same spelling “Samantha”): https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89V5-VCFS?view=index&action=view&cc=2448940