UK girl's name
Samaria
A feminine name of Hebrew origin meaning "watchman" or "guard".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2022. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Samaria is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Samaria popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2022 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3970, with 5 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2009, with 5 births.
This profile covers 33 England and Wales registrations across 8 recorded years from 2007 to 2022. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 100% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 33 living people in the UK are called Samaria. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2023 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Samaria ranked #3970 for girls in England and Wales in 2022, with 5 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2009, when 5 girls were registered as Samaria.
- • About 33 living people in the UK are estimated to have Samaria as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#3970
2022
Births in 2022
5
Latest year
Peak year
2009
5 births
Estimated living
33
2026
Meaning
What does Samaria mean?
The name Samaria has its origins in the ancient region of Samaria, located in the central part of the ancient Land of Israel. The name is derived from the Hebrew word "Shomron," which means "watch mountain" or "guard."
Samaria was one of the most important regions in ancient Israel and played a significant role in biblical history. The capital city of the northern Kingdom of Israel was located in Samaria, and the region is mentioned numerous times in the Old Testament. In the Book of Kings, Samaria is described as the place where the prophet Elijah performed many miracles and confronted the wicked King Ahab and his wife, Jezebel.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Samaria can be found in the Book of Jeremiah, where the prophet laments the destruction of Samaria by the Assyrians in the 8th century BCE. The name also appears in the New Testament, where Jesus is said to have passed through Samaria during his travels.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Samaria. One of the most famous was Samaria the Asidian (c. 110 BCE), a Jewish rebel leader who fought against the Seleucid Empire in ancient Judea. Another was Samaria of Gaza (c. 300 CE), a Christian martyr who was executed for her faith during the Roman persecutions.
In the Middle Ages, Samaria of Arles (c. 1198-1268) was a French Benedictine abbess and mystic who wrote several influential works on spirituality. During the Renaissance, Samaria of Mantua (1440-1547) was an Italian Jewish scholar and poet who wrote extensively on Jewish philosophy and theology.
In more recent times, Samaria Rice (born 1977) is an American activist and the mother of Tamir Rice, a 12-year-old boy who was tragically killed by police in Cleveland, Ohio, in 2014.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Samaria over time
The chart below shows babies named Samaria registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2007 to 2022. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Samaria, the clearest high point is 2009. The latest England and Wales figure is 5 births in 2022, compared with 5 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Samaria by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Samaria was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #3943 | 15 | 3 |
| 2010s | #5411 | 10 | 3 |
| 2000s | #4569 | 8 | 2 |
Related
Names similar to Samaria
- Sophie 103,803
- Sophia 46,936
- Scarlett 34,261
- Sienna 32,418
- Sofia 29,136
- Sarah 27,961
- Shannon 25,510
- Summer 24,167
- Sara 14,205
- Skye 13,654
- Samantha 12,697
- Stephanie 9,309
FAQ
Samaria: questions and answers
How popular is the name Samaria in the UK right now?
In 2022, Samaria was ranked #3970 for girls in England and Wales, with 5 births registered.
When was Samaria most popular?
The peak year on record was 2009, with 5 babies registered as Samaria in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Samaria?
A feminine name of Hebrew origin meaning "watchman" or "guard".
How many people are called Samaria in the UK?
A total of 33 babies have been registered as Samaria across the 8 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.