NameCensus.

UK surname

Sams

Derived from the given name Samuel, meaning "name of God" or "God has heard" in Hebrew.

In the 1881 census there were 659 people recorded with the Sams surname, ranking it #5,448 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,196, ranked #4,981, up from #5,448 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Leonard Shoreditch and Lambeth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include County Durham and Wiltshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Sams is 1,273 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 81.5%.

1881 census count

659

Ranked #5,448

Modern count

1,196

2016, ranked #4,981

Peak year

1999

1,273 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Sams had 659 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,448 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,196 in 2016, ranked #4,981.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,041 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Sams surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Sams surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Sams 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 579 #4,401
1861 historical 637 #4,207
1881 historical 659 #5,448
1891 historical 779 #5,153
1901 historical 994 #4,789
1911 historical 1,041 #4,409
1997 modern 1,195 #4,729
1998 modern 1,253 #4,707
1999 modern 1,273 #4,690
2000 modern 1,264 #4,698
2001 modern 1,230 #4,701
2002 modern 1,265 #4,693
2003 modern 1,223 #4,728
2004 modern 1,211 #4,780
2005 modern 1,195 #4,769
2006 modern 1,195 #4,789
2007 modern 1,181 #4,876
2008 modern 1,191 #4,867
2009 modern 1,222 #4,866
2010 modern 1,266 #4,823
2011 modern 1,257 #4,795
2012 modern 1,201 #4,911
2013 modern 1,219 #4,925
2014 modern 1,222 #4,942
2015 modern 1,195 #4,989
2016 modern 1,196 #4,981

Geography

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Where Sams' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Leonard Shoreditch, Lambeth and Long Sutton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to County Durham and Wiltshire. 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 London parishes London 1
2 St Leonard Shoreditch London (East Districts)
3 London parishes London 3
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 Long Sutton Somerset

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 County Durham 064 County Durham
2 County Durham 008 County Durham
3 County Durham 057 County Durham
4 Wiltshire 050 Wiltshire
5 County Durham 055 County Durham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Sams

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Sams

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Sams, 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 Sams surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Sams 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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Sams is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Sams is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Sams falls in decile 3 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Sams 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 Sams, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Sams

The surname SAMS originated in England during the late medieval period, derived from the personal name Samuel, itself stemming from the Hebrew name Shmuel meaning "name of God". The earliest recorded instances of the SAMS surname can be traced back to the 13th century in various counties across southern England.

In historical documents from the 14th and 15th centuries, the surname appeared with various spelling variations such as Samms, Sammes, and Sames, reflecting the inconsistencies in written English at the time. One notable early bearer of the SAMS name was John Sams, a merchant from Bristol recorded in tax rolls from 1379.

The SAMS surname is thought to have originated as an occupational name, initially referring to someone employed as a servant or attendant, potentially derived from the Old English word "sam" meaning "half" or "servant". This occupational connection may also explain the presence of SAMS families in areas like Gloucestershire and Wiltshire, where large manors and estates were prevalent.

In the 16th century, parish records from Devonshire mention a Richard Sams born in 1587, while in Sussex, the SAMS name was associated with the village of Sams Place near Mayfield, suggesting a possible toponymic origin related to a specific location.

Notable individuals bearing the SAMS surname throughout history include:

1. William Sams (1576-1628), an English clergyman and translator of the Geneva Bible. 2. John Sams (1662-1732), a successful merchant and landowner from Wiltshire. 3. Elizabeth Sams (1692-1778), a pioneering Quaker minister and writer from Pennsylvania. 4. Joseph Sams (1786-1867), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars. 5. Henry Sams (1844-1909), an American businessman and politician who served as Mayor of New Orleans from 1896 to 1900.

While the SAMS surname may have originated from humble beginnings, its widespread presence across England and beyond over the centuries attests to its enduring legacy as a notable family name.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Sams families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Sams 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. Essex leads with 141 Sams' recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.23x.

County Total Index
Essex 141 11.23x
Middlesex 124 1.95x
Hertfordshire 66 15.05x
Somerset 60 5.86x
Surrey 56 1.81x
Kent 42 1.94x
Northumberland 26 2.75x
Durham 23 1.22x
Huntingdonshire 19 15.05x
Suffolk 16 2.07x
Sussex 13 1.21x
Hampshire 11 0.84x
Cheshire 7 0.50x
Lincolnshire 7 0.69x
Northamptonshire 7 1.17x
Anglesey 5 4.44x
Buckinghamshire 5 1.30x
Yorkshire 5 0.08x
Staffordshire 4 0.19x
Berkshire 3 0.63x
Devon 3 0.23x
Gloucestershire 3 0.24x
Midlothian 2 0.23x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.25x
Herefordshire 1 0.38x
Norfolk 1 0.10x
Royal Navy 1 1.32x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Shoreditch London in Middlesex leads with 24 Sams' recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.70x.

Place Total Index
Shoreditch London 24 8.70x
Camberwell 17 4.18x
Kensington London 17 4.81x
Lambeth 17 3.07x
Longbenton 17 42.42x
Lynesack Softley 15 293.54x
Chelmsford 14 65.00x
Black Notley 13 896.55x
Broxbourne 11 126.58x
Lindsell 11 1833.33x
Little Bardfield 11 1466.67x
Long Sutton 11 575.92x
Bethnal Green London 10 3.62x
Clerkenwell London 10 6.66x
Glatton Holme 10 1428.57x
Barking 9 24.50x
Brighton 9 4.16x
Prittlewell 9 51.72x
Codicote 8 306.51x
Croydon 8 4.65x
Mile End Old Town 8 7.97x
St Pancras London 8 1.56x
Bishop Stortford 7 47.81x
Maidstone 7 10.83x
Plumstead 7 9.68x
Somerton 7 167.46x
Stanstead Abbots 7 263.16x
Twickenham 7 25.67x
Backwell 6 285.71x
Bow London 6 7.41x
Chipstead 6 428.57x
Eastwood 6 545.45x
Kewstoke 6 372.67x
North Mimms 6 217.39x
Washingley 6 2857.14x
Ashby 5 156.74x
Bengeo 5 98.23x
Castle Hedingham 5 221.24x
Cowlinge 5 337.84x
Deptford St Paul 5 2.99x
Grafton Regis 5 1351.35x
Great Dunmow 5 76.45x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 5 6.10x
Islington London 5 0.81x
Lewisham 5 4.32x
Llandysilio 5 141.24x
Lymm 5 48.97x
South Gosforth 5 454.55x
South Weald 5 46.51x
Wethersfield 5 157.73x
Alverstoke 4 8.48x
Canewdon 4 254.78x
Charlton Mackrell 4 634.92x
Ealing 4 7.04x
Emberton 4 285.71x
Hundon 4 207.25x
Langport Eastover 4 270.27x
Lee 4 12.69x
Newington 4 1.70x
Northfleet 4 20.92x
Rayleigh 4 138.41x
Street 4 72.20x
Woodford St Mary 4 281.69x
Bathwick 3 26.48x
Bennington 3 238.10x
Braintree 3 26.62x
Bramfield 3 545.45x
Bromley London 3 2.14x
Dewsbury 3 4.64x
Glatton 3 247.93x
Great Baddow 3 67.11x
Hexham 3 20.48x
Loughton 3 48.31x
Milton In Gravesend 3 9.22x
Powderham 3 491.80x
St Albans St Peter 3 20.28x
St Anne Soho London 3 8.26x
Ware 3 23.87x
West Ham 3 1.08x
Whittington 3 68.34x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 42
John 29
George 27
Henry 19
James 16
Charles 15
Thomas 15
Alfred 14
Joseph 13
Arthur 10
Edward 10
Walter 9
Robert 8
Frederick 7
Harry 7
Samuel 5
Percy 3
Andrew 2
Benjamin 2
Danieal 2
Ebenezer 2
Edwin 2
Frank 2
Fred 2
Frederic 2
Stephen 2
Thos. 2
Willm. 2
Absalom 1
Alf 1
Augustus 1
Austin 1
Barwick 1
Clement 1
Davis 1
Edmund 1
Eli 1
Enoch 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Horace 1
Hubert 1
Hy. 1
Isaac 1
Israel 1
Jesper 1
Joel 1
Jonah 1
Jonathan 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Sams surname: questions and answers

How common was the Sams surname in 1881?

In 1881, 659 people were recorded with the Sams surname. That placed it at #5,448 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Sams surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,196 in 2016. That gives Sams a modern rank of #4,981.

What does the Sams surname mean?

Derived from the given name Samuel, meaning "name of God" or "God has heard" in Hebrew.

What does the Sams map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Sams 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.