Sampsell last name popularity, history, and meaning

Find out how popular the last name Sampsell is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Sampsell.

Meaning of Sampsell

A surname derived from the medieval personal name Samuel.

Sampsell, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Sampsell surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sampsell in America

Sampsell is the 31790th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sampsell surname appeared 726 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Sampsell.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sampsell to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 31790 30264 4.92%
Count 726 730 -0.55%
Proportion per 100k 0.25 0.27 -7.69%

The history of the last name Sampsell

The surname Sampsell is believed to have originated in England, with its roots tracing back to the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English personal name "Sampson," which itself comes from the Hebrew name "Shimshon," meaning "sun child" or "brilliant."

The earliest recorded instances of the Sampsell surname date back to the 13th century, with references found in various historical records and documents from that era. One notable mention is in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, compiled in 1273, which lists a certain Robert Sampsoun.

Throughout the centuries, the name underwent several spelling variations, including Sampson, Samson, Sampsoun, and Sampsell. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and scribal conventions of the time.

In terms of geographical distribution, the Sampsell name was particularly prevalent in the counties of Essex, Suffolk, and Norfolk in eastern England. This region is known for its rich agricultural heritage, and it is possible that some early bearers of the name were involved in farming or related occupations.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the Sampsell surname was William Sampsell, who was born in Essex in the late 15th century. Another notable figure was John Sampsell, a merchant and landowner from Norfolk, who lived during the reign of Elizabeth I in the 16th century.

Moving forward in time, the Sampsell name also appears in historical records from the 17th and 18th centuries. For instance, Samuel Sampsell was a prominent clergyman and author who lived in London in the late 17th century, and published several works on theology and religious matters.

In the 19th century, a notable figure was Charles Sampsell, a British architect and surveyor who worked on several notable projects, including the restoration of St. Paul's Cathedral in London.

Another individual of note was Emily Sampsell, a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights in the late 19th century. She was born in Norfolk in 1845 and dedicated her life to promoting educational opportunities for women.

As the centuries progressed, the Sampsell name continued to spread across England and beyond, with some bearers of the name emigrating to other parts of the world, including North America and Australia.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sampsell

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Sampsell.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

  1. White only
  2. Black only
  3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
  4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
  5. Hispanic
  6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Sampsell was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 96.83% 703
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.10% 8
Hispanic Origin 0.96% 7

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Sampsell has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 96.83% 96.71% 0.12%
Black (S)% 0.82% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% 0.82% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 1.10% (S)% (S)%
Hispanic 0.96% 1.10% -13.59%

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Sampsell was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Sampsell, please contact us.

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