Jemima vs Samantha
Jemima and Samanthacompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2017, Jemima was ranked #432 and Samantha #239 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2012, Jemima was ranked #677 and Samantha #250 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Jemima was ranked #444 and Samantha #778 among girls in England and Wales.
Jemima and Samantha over time
Jemima and Samantha appear together in 1 published list, across 30 years of shared records. Jemima held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Samantha in 0.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Samantha reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Jemima in none. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2008, Jemima moved ahead of Samantha in England and Wales · Girls — #170 and #147 the year before became #157 and #158.
- Longest-running competitions
Jemima and Samantha were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #444 and #778.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Jemima held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Samantha in 12.
Highest recorded here: Jemima #157 in 2008, Samantha #32 in 1996.
The order changed in 2008: Jemima moved ahead. In 2007 they stood at #170 and #147; by 2008 that had become #157 and #158.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jemima #444, Samantha #778.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Jemima | Samantha |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Likely a feminine adaptation of Samuel, incorporating a suffix possibly derived from Greek 'anthos' ('flower'). Emerged in 18th-century America; boosted to wide popularity by the 1964 television series Bewitched. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Hebrew, feminine adaptation (uncertain suffix origin) |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /sə.ˈmæn.θə/ |
| Syllables | 3 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #444 (2025) | Norway · Girls #525 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 76/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Samantha has a recorded origin (Hebrew, feminine adaptation (uncertain suffix origin)); Jemima does not have one recorded yet.
- Jemima and Samantha both have 3 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Samantha; Jemima doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Jemima
Popularity journey
First recorded1984
First recorded at #516 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1984 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2025
Highest recorded position: #157 among girls in England and Wales, in 2008 (recorded 1996–2025).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #444 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Samantha
Popularity journey
First recorded1966
First recorded at #79 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1966 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1966–2013
Highest recorded position: #3 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1992 (recorded 1966–2013).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #778 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls