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

Simms, 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 Simms surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Simms in America

Simms is the 1340th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Simms surname appeared 26,287 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 9 people would have the surname Simms.

We can also compare 2010 data for Simms 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 Simms

The surname Simms has its origins in England, dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the medieval English personal name 'Sim', which is a shortened form of 'Simon'. The name Simon itself is of Hebrew origin, meaning 'he has heard'.

Simms is believed to have originated as a patronymic surname, meaning it was originally used to identify someone as the son of Sim or Simon. Early records show variations in spelling, such as Sims, Simmes, and Symms.

One of the earliest recorded references to the name Simms can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Cambridgeshire in 1195, where a man named William Simmes is mentioned. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 also include entries for individuals with the surname Simms.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various locations across England, including Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Essex. Some notable individuals with the surname Simms during this period include John Simms, a merchant from London who was mentioned in records from 1379, and Robert Simms, a landowner in Cambridgeshire who was recorded in the Feet of Fines in 1390.

Over the centuries, the Simms surname has been associated with various place names in England, such as Simmondley in Derbyshire and Simmondburn in Northumberland. These place names may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname in certain regions.

One of the earliest documented instances of the Simms surname in England is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where a landowner named Simund is mentioned in Norfolk. While not directly related to the surname Simms, this entry suggests the presence of similar names in the region at the time.

Notable individuals with the surname Simms throughout history include:

1. William Gilmore Simms (1806-1870), an American writer and poet from South Carolina.
2. Frederick Walter Simms (1803-1865), an English painter known for his landscapes and coastal scenes.
3. Andrew Simms (1756-1832), an English clergyman and writer who served as the Rector of St. Paul's Church in Deptford.
4. Michael Simms (1928-2012), an American actor and voice artist best known for his work in animation.
5. William Simms (1832-1903), a English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Sussex County Cricket Club.

The surname Simms has a rich history, spanning centuries and crossing various regions of England, before eventually spreading to other parts of the world through migration and settlement.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Simms

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!