NameCensus.

UK surname

Samson

Derived from the Hebrew name Shimshon, meaning "man of the sun" or "sun child," an Old Testament biblical name.

In the 1881 census there were 2,121 people recorded with the Samson surname, ranking it #2,083 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,760, ranked #2,433, down from #2,083 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Forfar and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Auchinleck, Cumnock Rural and Lochee.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Samson is 2,760 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 30.1%.

1881 census count

2,121

Ranked #2,083

Modern count

2,760

2016, ranked #2,433

Peak year

2016

2,760 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Samson had 2,121 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,083 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,760 in 2016, ranked #2,433.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,379 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Samson surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Samson surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Samson 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 1,444 #1,993
1861 historical 2,068 #1,399
1881 historical 2,121 #2,083
1891 historical 2,379 #1,976
1901 historical 2,310 #2,356
1911 historical 1,480 #3,252
1997 modern 2,298 #2,705
1998 modern 2,404 #2,695
1999 modern 2,426 #2,700
2000 modern 2,380 #2,726
2001 modern 2,324 #2,732
2002 modern 2,374 #2,729
2003 modern 2,359 #2,696
2004 modern 2,367 #2,694
2005 modern 2,358 #2,665
2006 modern 2,366 #2,661
2007 modern 2,416 #2,644
2008 modern 2,480 #2,601
2009 modern 2,559 #2,592
2010 modern 2,677 #2,540
2011 modern 2,621 #2,558
2012 modern 2,623 #2,516
2013 modern 2,679 #2,510
2014 modern 2,699 #2,509
2015 modern 2,705 #2,486
2016 modern 2,760 #2,433

Geography

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Where Samsons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Forfar, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry and Riccarton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Auchinleck, Cumnock Rural, Lochee, Charleston and Cumnock South and Craigens. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 London parishes London 1
2 Forfar Forfar
3 London parishes London 3
4 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
5 Riccarton Ayr

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Auchinleck East Ayrshire
2 Cumnock Rural East Ayrshire
3 Lochee Dundee City
4 Charleston Dundee City
5 Cumnock South and Craigens East Ayrshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Samson

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Samson

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Samson, 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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Samson surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Samson household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Samson is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Samson 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

Samson falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Samson is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Samson

The surname Samson originated in England during the late medieval period. It is derived from the personal name Samuel, which itself comes from the Hebrew name Shemu'el, meaning "name of God" or "heard by God". The surname is thought to have first emerged as a patronymic, meaning "son of Samuel".

Early records show the surname spelled in various ways, including Samson, Sampson, and Sansom. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, where it appears as Sampson.

The Samson surname is also linked to several place names in England, such as Sampson's Croft in Gloucestershire and Sampson's Orchard in Somerset. These place names likely originated from individuals named Samson who once owned or lived in those locations.

During the Middle Ages, the name Samson was associated with strength and power, likely due to the biblical figure Samson, known for his extraordinary physical strength. This association may have contributed to the surname's popularity.

Notable individuals with the surname Samson throughout history include:

1. Richard Samson (c. 1515-1585), an English philosopher and academic who served as the Regius Professor of Divinity at the University of Cambridge.

2. Sir Henry Samson (1604-1679), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Doncaster during the English Civil War.

3. Henry Samson (1692-1743), an English architect and surveyor who worked on several notable buildings in London, including the Charterhouse.

4. William Samson (1718-1796), an English writer and author of several works on agriculture and rural life.

5. Deborah Samson (1760-1827), an American woman who disguised herself as a man and served in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War under the name Robert Shurtliff.

The Samson surname continues to be found throughout England, as well as in other parts of the world, reflecting the migration patterns of those bearing this name over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Samson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Samson 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. Ayrshire leads with 329 Samsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 21.07x.

County Total Index
Ayrshire 329 21.07x
Kent 280 3.93x
Angus 265 13.71x
Middlesex 263 1.26x
Lanarkshire 123 1.82x
Lancashire 98 0.40x
Surrey 85 0.84x
Devon 47 1.08x
Dorset 47 3.43x
Yorkshire 45 0.22x
Sussex 42 1.19x
Hampshire 38 0.89x
Norfolk 33 1.03x
Somerset 33 0.98x
Essex 29 0.70x
Channel Islands 23 3.72x
Durham 22 0.35x
Renfrewshire 19 1.18x
Cornwall 18 0.76x
Midlothian 18 0.64x
Nottinghamshire 18 0.64x
Northumberland 17 0.55x
Suffolk 17 0.67x
Glamorgan 15 0.41x
Gloucestershire 14 0.34x
Northamptonshire 14 0.71x
Warwickshire 14 0.27x
Worcestershire 14 0.51x
Clackmannanshire 12 6.96x
Lincolnshire 12 0.36x
Fife 9 0.73x
Staffordshire 9 0.13x
Cambridgeshire 8 0.61x
Perthshire 8 0.85x
Carmarthenshire 7 0.80x
Cheshire 7 0.15x
Cumberland 7 0.39x
Herefordshire 7 0.82x
Stirlingshire 7 0.91x
Wiltshire 7 0.38x
Dunbartonshire 6 1.07x
Hertfordshire 6 0.42x
Leicestershire 6 0.26x
Oxfordshire 6 0.47x
West Lothian 6 1.91x
Berkshire 4 0.26x
Huntingdonshire 4 0.97x
Morayshire 4 1.23x
Aberdeenshire 3 0.16x
Monmouthshire 3 0.20x
Royal Navy 3 1.21x
Buteshire 2 1.58x
Peeblesshire 2 2.04x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.08x
Derbyshire 1 0.03x
Kincardineshire 1 0.39x
Wigtownshire 1 0.36x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Muirkirk in Ayrshire leads with 118 Samsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 321.79x.

Place Total Index
Muirkirk 118 321.79x
Dundee 109 15.10x
Forfar 69 65.92x
Riccarton 56 237.69x
Kilmarnock 51 27.44x
Govan 46 2.76x
Old Cumnock 35 100.66x
Rutherglen 30 30.30x
Mile End Old Town 27 8.20x
Lambeth 25 1.37x
Bethnal Green London 22 2.43x
Islington London 22 1.09x
Limehouse London 21 9.17x
St Pancras London 19 1.13x
St Vigeans 19 18.21x
Barony 18 1.05x
Brighton 18 2.54x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 18 1.60x
Hackney London 18 1.54x
Kirriemuir 18 37.74x
Sheldwich 17 372.81x
Staplehurst 17 145.42x
Paddington London 16 2.09x
Plumstead 16 6.74x
Portsea 16 1.91x
St Helier 16 7.95x
Woolwich 16 6.08x
Kilwinning 15 29.74x
Woodchurch 14 158.01x
Kensington London 13 1.12x
Ashton Under Lyne 12 2.22x
Great Bolton 12 3.66x
Alloa 11 13.16x
Ashford 11 15.87x
Fareham 11 21.40x
Harty 11 982.14x
Aston 10 0.69x
Bishopwearmouth 10 1.88x
Camberwell 10 0.75x
Cambusnethan 10 6.67x
Irvine 10 23.05x
Lowestoft 10 8.33x
Mitcham 10 15.56x
Preston Next Faversham 10 59.77x
Shettleston 10 16.55x
Toxteth Park 10 1.19x
Tynemouth 10 6.01x
Wigan 10 2.89x
Wiggenhall St German 10 263.85x
Auckinleck 9 18.62x
Bow London 9 3.39x
Brenenden 9 98.25x
Edmonton 9 5.35x
Erith 9 12.83x
Everton 9 1.14x
Grimley 9 175.10x
Maidstone 9 4.24x
Shoreditch London 9 1.00x
Wrotham 9 38.17x
Battersea 8 1.04x
Castleton 8 3.24x
Cobham 8 47.96x
Dreghorn 8 28.30x
East Malling 8 47.03x
Greenwich 8 2.41x
Lanivet 8 108.70x
Whitechapel London 8 3.89x
Bedminster 7 2.22x
Bristol St George 7 3.70x
Ecclesall Bierlow 7 1.66x
Gillingham 7 29.75x
Glamis 7 60.03x
Kingstone 7 429.45x
Milton In Milton 7 23.13x
Peterborough 7 4.93x
St Peterat Gowts Lincoln 7 14.92x
Strood 7 17.24x
Symington 7 139.72x
Uplyme 7 107.53x
Weobley 7 110.94x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 74
John 52
George 40
Henry 38
Thomas 34
Charles 25
James 25
Alfred 23
Robert 22
Frederick 17
Joseph 17
Edward 16
Richard 15
Arthur 14
Albert 12
Samuel 12
Walter 11
Benjamin 9
David 7
Fredrick 6
Herbert 6
Percy 6
Wm. 6
Edwin 5
Ernest 5
Frank 5
Stephen 5
Odian 4
Adam 3
Augustus 3
Edgar 3
Francis 3
Fred 3
Lewis 3
Louis 3
Mathew 3
Michael 3
Reginald 3
Alex 2
Alexander 2
Chas. 2
Frederic 2
Friend 2
Gerald 2
Henery 2
Leonard 2
Peter 2
Philip 2
Solomon 2
Tom 2

FAQ

Samson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Samson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,121 people were recorded with the Samson surname. That placed it at #2,083 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Samson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,760 in 2016. That gives Samson a modern rank of #2,433.

What does the Samson surname mean?

Derived from the Hebrew name Shimshon, meaning "man of the sun" or "sun child," an Old Testament biblical name.

What does the Samson map show?

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