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

Simpson, 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 Simpson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Simpson in America

Simpson is the 158th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Simpson surname appeared 163,181 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 55 people would have the surname Simpson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Simpson 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 Simpson

The surname Simpson is of English origin and dates back to the 12th century. It is derived from the old English name "Simund", which means "son of Simond". This name was later anglicized to become Simon or Simson.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Simpson can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1195, where a Richard Simondesun is mentioned. In the Hundred Rolls of 1273, a John Simundesone is listed in Yorkshire.

During the Middle Ages, the name Simpson began to appear in various records and manuscripts across England. In the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1279, a William Symundesone is recorded. The Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1327 mention a John Simundesone.

The name Simpson is also linked to several place names in England, such as Simpson in Buckinghamshire and Simpson's Fold in Lancashire. These place names likely originated from individuals with the surname Simpson who either lived in or owned land in these areas.

Some notable individuals with the surname Simpson throughout history include:

1. Thomas Simpson (1710-1761), an English mathematician and inventor of the Simpson's Rule for numerical integration.
2. Sir James Young Simpson (1811-1870), a Scottish obstetrician and pioneer in the use of chloroform as an anesthetic during childbirth.
3. Wallis Simpson (1896-1986), the American divorcée whose relationship with King Edward VIII led to his abdication in 1936.
4. O.J. Simpson (born 1947), the American former football player and actor, who was famously acquitted of the murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman in 1995.
5. Jessica Simpson (born 1980), the American singer, actress, and fashion designer.

While the name Simpson can be found across various regions of England, it was particularly prevalent in the northern counties of Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Northumberland during the medieval and early modern periods.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Simpson

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

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

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

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