Samantha

right|thumb|Grace Kelly portrayed Tracy Samantha Lord in the 1956 American romantic comedy musical film High Society. Kelly is pictured with [[Louis Armstrong on the film set.]]right|thumb|American Samantha Smith (1972–1985) is pictured during her goodwill tour of the Soviet Union in July 1983. Samantha is an English feminine given name in use since the 17th century that is of uncertain derivation. It is now in popular use worldwide due to various popular culture influences.

==Etymology== Some etymologists have suggested Samantha might be a derivative of Semanthe, a similar name likely invented by English playwright Sir John Suckling for a character in his play Aglaura, which was first staged in England in 1637. Semanthe was later used by other English or Irish writers for characters in works of fiction published in the 17th and 18th centuries, including for a character in the 1682 tragic play The Loyal Brother by Irish dramatist Thomas Southerne, a character in the 1690 tragic play The Treacherous Brothers by English playwright George Powell, a character in the 1699 tragic play Friendship Improved by Anglo-Irish dramatist Charles Hopkins, a character in the 1705 tragic play Ulysses by English dramatist Nicholas Rowe, a character in the 1718 historical tragic play Scipo Africanus by English dramatist Charles Beckingham, and in 1758 for an English translation of the works of Françoise d'Aubigné, Marquise de Maintenon. In 1712, the name Semanthe was used in an article in the English periodical The Spectator. Irish poet Mary Barber used the name Samantha in a poem published in her 1734 Poems on Several Occasions.