Roisin vs Samantha
Roisin 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 2021, Roisin was ranked #171 and Samantha #446 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Roisin was ranked #541 and Samantha #541 among girls in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Roisin was ranked #544 and Samantha #885 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Roisin was ranked #1166 and Samantha #778 among girls in England and Wales.
Roisin and Samantha over time
Roisin and Samantha appear together in 3 published lists, across 112 years of shared records. Roisin held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Samantha in 1.
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 2 of those lists, Roisin in 1. 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 2012, Roisin moved ahead of Samantha in Northern Ireland · Girls — #207 and #189 the year before became #187 and #297.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Roisin and Samantha changed places 11 times in Northern Ireland · Girls between 1997 and 2021, ending at #171 and #446.
- Longest-running competitions
Roisin and Samantha were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #1166 and #778.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Roisin #247 in 1997, Samantha #32 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls59 shared years, 1966–2025
Roisin held the stronger position in 51 of those years, Samantha in 8.
Highest recorded here: Roisin #17 in 1999, Samantha #33 in 1986.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Roisin #544, Samantha #885.
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Roisin held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Samantha in 30.
Highest recorded here: Roisin #247 in 1997, Samantha #32 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Roisin #1166, Samantha #778.
Northern Ireland · Girls23 shared years, 1997–2021
Roisin held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Samantha in 7.
Highest recorded here: Roisin #59 in 1998, Samantha #57 in 2000.
The order changed in 2012: Roisin moved ahead. In 2011 they stood at #207 and #189; by 2012 that had become #187 and #297.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Roisin #171, Samantha #446.
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 | Roisin | Samantha |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | A diminutive form commonly interpreted as 'little rose', from Irish rós ('rose', ultimately of Latin origin) plus a diminutive suffix. | 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 | Irish | Hebrew, feminine adaptation (uncertain suffix origin) |
| Pronunciation | /ɾˠoːˈʃiːnʲ/ | /sə.ˈmæn.θə/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #544 (2025) | Norway · Girls #525 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 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
- Roisin is recorded with a Irish origin, while Samantha is recorded with a Hebrew, feminine adaptation (uncertain suffix origin) origin.
- Roisin has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Samantha.
- Roisin's recorded meaning differs from Samantha's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Roisin
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #154 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #17 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1999 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #1166 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