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

Symons, 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 Symons surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Symons in America

Symons is the 10668th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Symons surname appeared 2,999 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Symons.

We can also compare 2010 data for Symons 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 Symons

The surname Symons has its origins in England, with records dating back to the late 12th century. It is derived from the personal name Simon, which was relatively common in medieval times and came from the Hebrew name Shimon, meaning "he has heard."

In its earliest form, the surname was often written as Simone or Simonis, reflecting the patronymic nature of many early surnames. As time passed, various spellings emerged, including Symon, Symonds, and eventually the modern Symons. The name was particularly prevalent in the counties of Devon, Somerset, and Cornwall in southwestern England.

One of the earliest known references to the surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, which mention a Willelmus filius Simonis (William, son of Simon). The Hundred Rolls of 1273 also include several individuals with the surname, such as Walter Simond and Reginald Symond.

In the 14th century, the Symons surname appeared in various records across England. For example, a John Symond was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1327, and a William Symon was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1380.

One notable early bearer of the name was Sir John Symons (c. 1370-1450), a English knight and Member of Parliament for Somerset during the reign of Henry VI. Another was Ralph Symons (c. 1435-1490), a wealthy merchant and landowner in Devon.

Over the centuries, the Symons surname has been associated with several notable individuals. These include the English poet and critic John Addington Symonds (1840-1893), the British Army officer Sir William Penn Symons (1843-1899), who was killed in action during the Second Boer War, and the American author and playwright Ralph Symons (1904-1983).

Other prominent figures with the surname include the British architect Sir Ralph Symons (1924-2017), known for designing the Euston Tower in London, and the Australian musician and songwriter Nick Symons (1968-2009), who was a member of the band Crowded House.

While the Symons surname has evolved over time, its origins can be traced back to the personal name Simon and its early roots in medieval England, particularly in the southwestern counties. Through various historical records and notable bearers, the name has left an indelible mark on the annals of history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Symons

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

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

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

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