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

Samuels, 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 Samuels surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Samuels in America

Samuels is the 1621st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Samuels surname appeared 22,207 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 8 people would have the surname Samuels.

We can also compare 2010 data for Samuels 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 Samuels

The surname Samuels has its origins in the Middle Ages, deriving from the Hebrew personal name Samuel, meaning "name of God" or "heard by God." The name is believed to have originated in the Middle East, likely in ancient Israel, and was later carried to various parts of Europe by Jewish communities.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Samuels can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire, England, from the year 1195, where a certain Samuel de Gloucestre is mentioned. This indicates that the name had already taken root in England by the late 12th century.

In the 13th century, the surname Samuels appears in various records across Europe, including the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in England (1275), where a William Samuels is listed. During this period, the name was often spelled in various ways, such as Samuell, Samwell, and Samwyll.

The name Samuels has also been linked to certain place names, such as Samuelston in Scotland and Samuelsdorf in Germany, suggesting that some individuals with this surname may have taken their names from these locations or vice versa.

Notable individuals with the surname Samuels throughout history include:

1. Sir Philip Samuels (1592-1654), an English merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1644.
2. Ralph Samuels (1696-1764), an English philosopher and mathematician who made significant contributions to the study of optics.
3. Nathaniel Samuels (1768-1842), an American Revolutionary War soldier and farmer from Massachusetts.
4. Mary Samuels (1827-1902), an English philanthropist and social reformer who worked to improve the living conditions of factory workers.
5. Walter Samuels (1870-1936), an Australian cricketer who played Test matches for the national team in the late 19th century.

The surname Samuels has been carried across continents by various waves of migration, and it is now found in many countries around the world, particularly in areas with significant Jewish or Christian populations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Samuels

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

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

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

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