Given name & surname
Sama
“a generous, forgiving woman”
Sama is a variant of Samah. One Arabic interpretation is “a generous, forgiving woman.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Sama is a variant of Samah. One Arabic interpretation is “a generous, forgiving woman.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Sama is a variant of Samah. An origin associated with Samah is Arabic.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1983. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Sama through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 1,819
- 6 boys · 1,813 girls
- Most popular year
- 2025
- 192 babies
- 2025
- 192
- #1,221 for girls · #11,756 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +58%
- Rising fast
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 186 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 1,221 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 56.8% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. It also appeared in 6 birth records for boys in 2025. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (27). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 1,837 as a first name in 2020; 1,265 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Sama’s family of names
Sama has a related form in Samah. In English usage, Sama as a surname has an alternative spelling in Samà. In Greek usage, Sama as a surname is a transliteration of Σαμά.
Inner ring: spellings · outer: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 1
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 2
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
People named Sama
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Sama, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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