Samantha

Samantha has enjoyed some pretty substantial popularity since the 1960s — and it's mainly thanks to a certain nose-twitching witch.

Every year, the U.S. Social Security Administration released a list of the top 1000 most popular baby names for both boys and girls. At the turn of the century, Samantha hovered near the bottom of those popularity charts before dropping out of the top 1000 completely in 1907. It made a brief reappearance at #999 in 1958, and then vanished again for a few years. But in September 1964, 'Bewitched' — featuring the vivacious witch-turned-housewife Samantha — made its television debut. And that same year, the name Samantha not only re-entered the top 1000 most popular names, it made an astonishing comeback — ranking at #474. And in 1965, it had skyrocketed to #179, where it continued to climb until reaching its pinnacle at #3 in 1998.

Of course, we'd be remiss not to mention another pop culture Samantha who definitely helped bolster the name's popularity along: the bold and confident Samantha Jones from 'Sex and the City'. The show debuted in 1998, coinciding with the name's peak popularity, and Samantha stayed in the top 10 until 2007.

Today, Samantha isn't in the spotlight as much as it once was, but it's hovering just outside of the top 100 — so still a viable and not outdated choice. It's considered the female version of the Hebrew name Samuel, meaning "God has heard", combined with a form of the Greek word "anthos", meaning "flower."

Notable Samanthas (besides the ones in pop culture, of course!) include comedian Samantha Bee; singer Samantha Mumba; DJ Samantha Ronson; actresses Samantha Morton and Samantha Mathis; and diplomat and former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Samantha Power.

Samantha in quotes:

"Samantha, you're the most beautiful woman in the world." — Darren Stephens, 'Bewitched'