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

Samson, 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 Samson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Samson in America

Samson is the 3246th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Samson surname appeared 11,123 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Samson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Samson 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.

The history of the last name Samson

The surname Samson originated in England during the late medieval period. It is derived from the personal name Samuel, which itself comes from the Hebrew name Shemu'el, meaning "name of God" or "heard by God". The surname is thought to have first emerged as a patronymic, meaning "son of Samuel".

Early records show the surname spelled in various ways, including Samson, Sampson, and Sansom. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, where it appears as Sampson.

The Samson surname is also linked to several place names in England, such as Sampson's Croft in Gloucestershire and Sampson's Orchard in Somerset. These place names likely originated from individuals named Samson who once owned or lived in those locations.

During the Middle Ages, the name Samson was associated with strength and power, likely due to the biblical figure Samson, known for his extraordinary physical strength. This association may have contributed to the surname's popularity.

Notable individuals with the surname Samson throughout history include:

1. Richard Samson (c. 1515-1585), an English philosopher and academic who served as the Regius Professor of Divinity at the University of Cambridge.

2. Sir Henry Samson (1604-1679), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Doncaster during the English Civil War.

3. Henry Samson (1692-1743), an English architect and surveyor who worked on several notable buildings in London, including the Charterhouse.

4. William Samson (1718-1796), an English writer and author of several works on agriculture and rural life.

5. Deborah Samson (1760-1827), an American woman who disguised herself as a man and served in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War under the name Robert Shurtliff.

The Samson surname continues to be found throughout England, as well as in other parts of the world, reflecting the migration patterns of those bearing this name over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Samson

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

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 Samson was:

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 Samson has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

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 Samson was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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