NameCensus.

UK surname

Sampson

Derived from the Hebrew name "Shimshon," meaning "man of the sun" or "sun's man."

In the 1881 census there were 5,087 people recorded with the Sampson surname, ranking it #874 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 7,492, ranked #890, down from #874 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Bedminster and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cornwall, Mid Devon and Arun.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Sampson is 7,630 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 47.3%.

1881 census count

5,087

Ranked #874

Modern count

7,492

2016, ranked #890

Peak year

2010

7,630 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Sampson had 5,087 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #874 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 7,492 in 2016, ranked #890.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 6,639 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Sampson surname distribution map

The map shows where the Sampson surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Sampson surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Sampson over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 3,669 #776
1861 historical 4,442 #636
1881 historical 5,087 #874
1891 historical 5,641 #832
1901 historical 6,216 #892
1911 historical 6,639 #779
1997 modern 7,173 #905
1998 modern 7,397 #916
1999 modern 7,460 #914
2000 modern 7,385 #916
2001 modern 7,225 #914
2002 modern 7,407 #908
2003 modern 7,314 #896
2004 modern 7,291 #898
2005 modern 7,098 #914
2006 modern 7,128 #911
2007 modern 7,176 #909
2008 modern 7,251 #909
2009 modern 7,460 #906
2010 modern 7,630 #905
2011 modern 7,597 #895
2012 modern 7,476 #891
2013 modern 7,589 #890
2014 modern 7,596 #896
2015 modern 7,537 #888
2016 modern 7,492 #890

Geography

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Where Sampsons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Bedminster, London parishes and St Matthew Bethnal Green. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cornwall, Mid Devon, Arun and Teignbridge. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 Bedminster Somerset
3 London parishes London 1
4 London parishes London 3
5 St Matthew Bethnal Green London (East Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cornwall 032 Cornwall
2 Mid Devon 002 Mid Devon
3 Arun 003 Arun
4 Cornwall 001 Cornwall
5 Teignbridge 013 Teignbridge

Forenames

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First names often paired with Sampson

These lists show first names that appear often with the Sampson surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Sampson

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Sampson, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Sampson surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Sampson household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Sampson is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Sampson is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Sampson falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Sampson is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Sampson, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Sampson

The surname Sampson originated in England in the medieval period. It is an English patronymic surname derived from the personal name Samson, which is ultimately from the Hebrew name Shimshon, meaning "sun". The name was borne by a biblical figure renowned for his great strength.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a census record compiled by William the Conqueror, the name appears as Samsone, reflecting its early spelling variations. Some early examples of the surname include Sampson de Newenton in Lincolnshire during the reign of King John (1199-1216) and Richard Sampson in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1327.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname was Richard Sampson (c.1435-1505), an English ecclesiastic who served as Bishop of Chichester and later Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield. Another notable figure was William Sampson (c.1505-1589), a prominent English lawyer and Member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

In the 17th century, the Sampson family established themselves as influential landowners in Nottinghamshire, with the birth of Sir William Sampson (1599-1655), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament and Vice-President of the Council of State during the English Civil War.

During the American Revolutionary War, Deborah Sampson (1760-1827) gained recognition as a woman who disguised herself as a man to serve in the Continental Army under the name Robert Shurtleff. After the war, she became one of the first women to receive a military pension from the United States government.

Another noteworthy individual was Rear Admiral William Thomas Sampson (1840-1902), a United States Navy officer who served as the commander of the North Atlantic Squadron during the Spanish-American War and is credited with leading the naval bombardment of San Juan, Puerto Rico, in 1898.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Sampson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Sampson surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 748 Sampsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.50x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 748 1.50x
Yorkshire 546 1.11x
Devon 506 4.88x
Cornwall 465 8.24x
Lancashire 324 0.55x
Kent 232 1.36x
Surrey 228 0.94x
Somerset 209 2.61x
Norfolk 180 2.35x
Suffolk 157 2.59x
Essex 123 1.25x
Nottinghamshire 122 1.82x
Lincolnshire 121 1.52x
Gloucestershire 104 1.06x
Durham 96 0.65x
Glamorgan 79 0.91x
Staffordshire 74 0.44x
Derbyshire 72 0.92x
Leicestershire 69 1.25x
Hampshire 67 0.66x
Dorset 64 1.96x
Sussex 58 0.69x
Cheshire 55 0.50x
Berkshire 52 1.39x
Warwickshire 36 0.29x
Lanarkshire 27 0.17x
Wiltshire 25 0.57x
Cumberland 23 0.54x
Oxfordshire 23 0.75x
Northumberland 21 0.28x
Worcestershire 17 0.26x
Cambridgeshire 16 0.51x
Hertfordshire 16 0.47x
Midlothian 13 0.19x
Shropshire 13 0.30x
Channel Islands 12 0.81x
Royal Navy 12 2.02x
Buckinghamshire 11 0.37x
Carmarthenshire 11 0.52x
Angus 10 0.22x
Perthshire 10 0.45x
Monmouthshire 9 0.25x
Flintshire 8 0.60x
Herefordshire 8 0.39x
Rutland 6 1.64x
Northamptonshire 4 0.09x
Stirlingshire 4 0.22x
Bedfordshire 3 0.12x
Caernarfonshire 3 0.15x
Fife 3 0.10x
Huntingdonshire 3 0.30x
Pembrokeshire 3 0.19x
Aberdeenshire 2 0.04x
Renfrewshire 2 0.05x
Ayrshire 1 0.03x
Brecknockshire 1 0.10x
Westmorland 1 0.09x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Islington London in Middlesex leads with 88 Sampsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.82x.

Place Total Index
Islington London 88 1.82x
Bedminster 74 9.82x
Madron Penzance 61 29.73x
Bethnal Green London 60 2.77x
St Pancras London 53 1.32x
Kensington London 52 1.88x
West Ham 51 2.35x
West Derby 46 2.66x
Shoreditch London 43 1.99x
St Marylebone London 40 1.50x
Camberwell 39 1.23x
Liverpool 39 1.09x
Nether Hallam 39 5.84x
Battersea 37 2.02x
Hackney London 35 1.25x
Illogan 35 23.43x
Paul 34 33.17x
Stanley Cum Wrenthorpe 34 14.82x
Bermondsey 31 2.09x
Hedenham 31 647.18x
Leicester St Mary 31 6.94x
Paddington London 31 1.69x
Bovey Tracey 30 82.67x
Sheffield 30 1.91x
Ecclesall Bierlow 27 2.69x
Lambeth 27 0.62x
Phillack 27 37.07x
Beccles 26 26.61x
Bow London 26 4.10x
South Tawton 26 121.55x
Plymouth St Andrew 24 3.00x
Uttoxeter 24 27.87x
Whitechapel London 24 4.89x
Oldham 23 1.21x
Willesden 23 4.90x
Bradfield 22 11.56x
Breage 22 42.72x
St George Hanover 22 3.38x
West Shefford 22 266.02x
Birmingham 21 0.50x
Brighton 21 1.24x
Great Yarmouth 21 3.31x
Mile End Old Town 21 2.67x
Plymouth Charles The 21 4.59x
Redruth 21 13.16x
Stoke Damerel 21 2.89x
Toxteth Park 21 1.05x
Warrington 21 3.00x
Alford 20 40.49x
Manningham 20 3.29x
Nottingham St Mary 20 1.15x
St Agnes 20 25.31x
Wigston Magna 20 27.29x
Bridlington 18 15.92x
Dukinfield 18 3.54x
Ludgvan 18 40.03x
North Tawton 18 56.48x
Liversedge 17 7.73x
St George In East 17 5.01x
Barnsley 16 3.14x
Beckenham 16 7.20x
Chagford 16 64.41x
Feock 16 45.31x
Hammersmith London 16 1.30x
Kenwyn 16 10.84x
Little Dunham 16 312.50x
St Luke London 16 2.00x
Bristol St James St Paul 15 4.60x
Broadwood Kelly 15 302.42x
Chulmleigh 15 63.48x
Kea 15 35.67x
Laxton 15 182.04x
Bishops Nympton 14 70.81x
Govan 14 0.35x
Hennock 14 106.30x
Leyton Low 14 7.00x
Lowestoft 14 4.88x
Plumstead 14 2.47x
Southwark St George Martyr 14 1.40x
St Botolph Aldgate 14 20.58x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Sampson surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 344
Elizabeth 193
Sarah 178
Eliza 94
Ann 88
Jane 77
Emma 73
Annie 72
Ellen 68
Alice 60
Emily 56
Hannah 51
Edith 43
Martha 42
Harriet 39
Margaret 33
Susan 33
Louisa 31
Ada 29
Florence 28
Kate 28
Clara 27
Fanny 27
Caroline 26
Lucy 26
Maria 25
Catherine 24
Anne 20
Matilda 18
Rebecca 18
Sophia 17
Julia 16
Amelia 15
Charlotte 15
Elizth. 15
Ethel 15
Agnes 12
Harriett 11
Rachel 11
Rose 11
Esther 10
Minnie 10
Beatrice 9
Frances 9
Grace 9
Laura 9
Lydia 9
Mabel 9
Selina 9
Bertha 8

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Sampson surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 335
William 325
George 162
Thomas 159
James 136
Henry 114
Charles 105
Robert 79
Richard 67
Arthur 61
Frederick 58
Edward 50
Samuel 50
Joseph 44
Alfred 38
Walter 38
Albert 36
Harry 33
Edwin 23
Wm. 20
Ernest 18
Herbert 18
David 16
Frank 16
Fred 12
Stephen 12
Francis 10
Tom 9
Benjamin 8
Thos. 8
Fredk. 7
Geo. 7
Lewis 7
Martin 7
J. 6
Leonard 6
Philip 6
Sydney 6
Alexander 5
Chas. 5
Edmund 5
Giles 5
Isaac 5
Jno. 5
Michael 5
Percy 5
Sidney 5
Hy. 4
Jacob 4
Joshua 4

FAQ

Sampson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Sampson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 5,087 people were recorded with the Sampson surname. That placed it at #874 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Sampson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 7,492 in 2016. That gives Sampson a modern rank of #890.

What does the Sampson surname mean?

Derived from the Hebrew name "Shimshon," meaning "man of the sun" or "sun's man."

What does the Sampson map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Sampson bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.