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Sampson Family History

Sampson Surname Meaning

English Welsh and Jewish: variant of Samson. The -p- was introduced in the Greek transliteration of the Hebrew name Shimshon.

English: of Norman origin a habitational name from any of the French places called Saint-Samson (Seine-Maritime, Calvados) including Saint-Samson-de-Bonfosse (Manche) and Saint-Samson-de-la-Roque (Eure), so called from the dedication of their churches to Saint Samson of Dol, the Welsh bishop (see Samson).

Americanized form of French, Breton, German, and Dutch Samson. Greek: from the personal name Sampson (see 1 above) or an American shortened form of any of various patronymics derived from this name, e.g. Sampsonidis and Sampsonoglou.

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


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Where is the Sampson family from?

You can see how Sampson families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Sampson family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Sampson families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 1,047 Sampson families living in London. This was about 19% of all the recorded Sampson's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Sampson families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Sampson surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Sampson 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 Sampson. 9% of Sampson men worked as a General Labourer and 67% of Sampson women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Sampson were Builders Labourer and Unpaid Domestic.

View Census Data for Sampson | 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
    9%
  • Farmer
    6%
  • Bricklayer
    4%
  • Builders Labourer
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    67%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Private Means
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    2%

What Sampson family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 300,000 census records available for the last name Sampson. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Sampson census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Sampson

Passenger Lists

There are 36,000 immigration records available for the last name Sampson. 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.

View all Sampson immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 41,000 military records available for the last name Sampson. For the veterans among your Sampson ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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You've only scratched the surface of Sampson family history

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What is the average Sampson lifespan?

Between 1943 and 2004, in the United States, Sampson life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 1993. The average life expectancy for Sampson in 1943 was 42, and 71 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Sampson

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Sampson ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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