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Samson Family History

Samson Name Meaning

English Welsh French Breton German Dutch Jewish Filipino African (mainly Nigeria Tanzania and Ethiopia) and West Indian (mainly Haiti); Hungarian (Sámson): from the Biblical personal name Samson (Hebrew Shimshon a diminutive of shemesh ‘sun’). Among Christians it was sometimes chosen as a personal name or nickname with reference to the great strength of the Biblical hero (Judges 13–16). In Wales another association was with the 6th-century Welsh bishop Samson who traveled to Brittany where he died and was greatly venerated. His name which is probably an altered form of an unknown Celtic original was popularized in England by Breton followers of William the Conqueror and to some extent independently from Wales. The English surname has been established in Ireland since the 14th century. In France this surname is most common in Morbihan (Brittany). Compare Sampson . — Note: Since Ethiopians do not have hereditary surnames the Ethiopian name was registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US. Filipino: Chinese Filipino surname formed with Chinese 孫 or sūn ‘grandchild’ as the second element. The first element 三 in Chinese means ‘third’ a reference to birth order. See also 1 above.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Sampson, Ramson, Salmon, Sarson, Sasson, Simson, Faison, Cason

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Where is the Samson family from?

You can see how Samson families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Samson family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Samson families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 404 Samson families living in London. This was about 30% of all the recorded Samson's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Samson families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Samson surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Samson ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Samson. 15% of Samson men worked as a General Labourer and 72% of Samson women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Samson were Old Age Pensioner and Unpaid Domestic. .

View Census Data for Samson | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    15%
  • Retired
    11%
  • Carpenter
    7%
  • Old Age Pensioner
    7%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    72%
  • Private Means
    4%
  • Incapacitated
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Samson family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 111,000 census records available for the last name Samson. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Samson census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

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Passenger Lists

There are 17,000 immigration records available for the last name Samson. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

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Draft Cards

There are 12,000 military records available for the last name Samson. For the veterans among your Samson ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Samson lifespan?

Between 1943 and 2004, in the United States, Samson life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1954, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Samson in 1943 was 43, and 78 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Samson

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