2000
#147,095
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Samules
A surname derived from the given name Samuel, meaning "name of God".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Samules. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Samules surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Samules in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Samules, the largest self-reported group is Black at 67.0%. The next largest groups are White (21.1%) and Hispanic (5.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Samules
The surname SAMULES is believed to have originated in the English counties of Shropshire and Staffordshire during the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old English personal name 'Samuel', which itself comes from the Hebrew name 'Shmu'el', meaning 'name of God' or 'God has heard'.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the SAMULES name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire from 1198, which mention a 'Ricardus filius Samuelis' (Richard, son of Samuel). Another early reference is in the Assize Rolls of Shropshire from 1221, listing a 'Willelmus Samules'.
The surname likely evolved from the patronymic 'son of Samuel', with the spelling variation of 'Samules' becoming more common in the 13th and 14th centuries. Other early spellings include 'Samuels', 'Samwelle', and 'Samwill'.
In the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, a 'Johannes Samules' is recorded as a taxpayer. The famous English philosopher and scholar William of Ockham, who lived from around 1287 to 1347, was also known as 'Willelmus Samules' in some historical documents.
During the 16th century, the SAMULES name spread to various parts of England, with records showing bearers in counties like Somerset, Wiltshire, and Gloucestershire. One notable figure was Robert SAMULES (c.1510-1585), a wealthy merchant and alderman in the city of Bristol.
As the centuries progressed, the SAMULES surname continued to be found across England, with families settling in areas like Warwickshire, Oxfordshire, and Lincolnshire. John SAMULES (1572-1636) was a prominent English clergyman who served as the Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry in the early 17th century.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Samules
Among Census respondents with the surname Samules, the largest self-reported group is Black at 67.0%. The next largest groups are White (21.1%) and Hispanic (5.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Samules bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Samules surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American67.0% · 73
- White21.1% · 23
- Hispanic or Latino5.5% · 6
- Two or more races3.7% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.8% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Samules
Samules appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#152,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
+4 bearers (+3.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,533 places
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
+2 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,423 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #147,095 | 103 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #152,628 | 107 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.9%) | Down 5,533 places |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.9%) | Up 2,423 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Samules surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #152,628 | #150,205 | 1.6% |
| Count | 107 | 109 | 1.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Samules bearers went from 107 to 109 (+1.9% change). The surname moved up 2,423 positions in the national ranking, going from #152,628 to #150,205.
FAQ
Samules surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Samules?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Samules. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Samules?
Samules ranks #150,205 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 109 people with the surname Samules. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Samules.
Has Samules become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Samules went from 107 recorded bearers to 109. That is an increase of 2 (+1.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #152,628 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Samules?
Among Census respondents with the surname Samules, the largest self-reported group is Black at 67.0%. The next largest groups are White (21.1%) and Hispanic (5.5%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Samules in the 2020 Census, accounting for 67.0% (73 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Samules appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (67.0%), White (21.1%), Hispanic (5.5%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Samules (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Samules mean?
A surname derived from the given name Samuel, meaning "name of God". The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Samules (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Samules?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.