Samantha is a feminine given name. It has been recorded in England in 1633 in Newton-Regis, Warwickshire, England. It was also recorded in the 18th century in New England, but its etymology is unknown. Speculation (without evidence) has suggested an origin from the masculine given name Samuel and , the Greek word for "flower". A variant of this speculation is that it may have been a feminine form of Samuel with the addition of the already existing feminine name Anthea.