samia

Samia is a female given name of Arabic origin. It derives from the Arabic word sama, meaning height or exaltation, with the feminine form samiya or samiyah signifying “exalted one” or “noble.” In many Arab-speaking countries and across the Muslim world, Samia is a common given name, with transliterations such as Samiya and Samiyah. The name has spread to other regions through diaspora communities and appears in literature and popular culture. As with many names, its popularity varies by time and place.

In biology, Samia is a genus of moths in the family Saturniidae, commonly known as silk moths. Species within this genus are large and are found primarily in Asia and Africa. Notable members include Samia cynthia, the Ailanthus silkmoth or Cynthia silk moth, and Samia ricini, the eri silkmoth. Adults are typically robust with broad, patterned wings and are largely nocturnal. The caterpillars feed on various deciduous trees and shrubs; in some regions, Samia moths have been reared for silk production, though they are separate from the cultivated domestic silkmoth Bombyx mori. The life cycle mirrors other Saturniids: eggs hatch into caterpillars, which pupate into a chrysalis before the adult moth emerges.

Samia thus has at least two distinct uses: as a feminine given name of Arabic origin and as the name of a moth genus containing several notable silk moth species.