Sampson Surname

4,306th
Most Common
surname in the World

Approximately 130,864 people bear this surname

Most prevalent in:
United States
Highest density in:
Dominica

Sampson Surname Definition:

This surname is derived from the name of an ancestor. 'the son of Samson' Old English Sampson; Old French Sanson. With the forms Sansom, &c, compare Ransome for Ranson, or the dictionary word random for randon. It has been stated that Sansom stands for some local St.

Read More About This Surname

Sampson Surname Distribution Map

By incidenceBy frequencyBy rank
Incidence (high to low)Incidence (low to high)Alphabetic A-ZAlphabetic Z-ARank (high to low)Rank (low to high)
PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
United States50,0771:7,238851
Nigeria39,6921:4,463599
England9,7051:5,741820
South Africa7,7611:6,981899
Australia6,5421:4,127597
Canada6,3251:5,825846
Liberia1,6421:2,685348
Trinidad and Tobago1,2821:1,064158
Guyana1,0501:72688
New Zealand9001:5,031811
Jamaica6591:4,355592
Wales3691:8,386935
France2961:224,40134,808
Hong Kong2671:27,474505
Scotland2521:21,2452,452
Nicaragua2431:24,7781,056
Ghana2351:114,98211,365
Ireland2071:22,7482,249
Greece2001:55,3999,233
Papua New Guinea1861:43,8375,367
Thailand1681:420,46673,628
India1271:6,039,885141,381
Belize1241:2,867593
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines1231:916202
Venezuela1221:247,5746,160
Honduras1211:72,8631,477
Northern Ireland1161:15,9052,130
Dominica1101:690162
Israel1021:83,89810,034
Mexico971:1,279,65214,962
Cyprus961:9,2171,053
Portugal851:122,5685,627
Spain791:591,79827,792
Zimbabwe771:200,49723,224
Chile721:244,6737,410
Grenada721:1,507272
Germany651:1,238,54679,660
Barbados631:4,563559
Panama531:73,8163,129
Saint Lucia531:3,373506
Sweden491:200,95413,911
Kuwait481:79,1819,331
Antigua and Barbuda471:2,110344
Dominican Republic461:226,8038,136
Singapore431:128,0865,748
United Arab Emirates421:218,14914,475
Botswana391:56,07510,323
Cameroon381:546,55442,843
Denmark331:171,05214,584
Netherlands311:544,74849,659
Belgium301:383,22141,070
Costa Rica291:164,8302,283
Guam291:5,521755
Malaysia261:1,134,39349,681
Saint Kitts and Nevis261:2,123347
Jersey251:3,968780
Bermuda241:2,720427
United States Virgin Islands231:4,799753
Ivory Coast221:1,048,69225,281
China211:65,110,5513,537
Norway211:244,87126,357
Philippines201:5,061,911170,869
El Salvador191:333,8892,514
Estonia191:69,56912,771
Suriname191:29,0855,642
Pakistan181:9,924,66048,309
Iraq161:2,188,85319,343
Isle of Man151:5,7211,243
Switzerland151:547,52838,365
Brazil141:15,291,024280,658
Uruguay121:285,98020,148
Austria111:774,13064,097
Cuba111:1,047,5206,594
Ecuador91:1,767,31620,027
Morocco91:3,830,67854,497
Cayman Islands81:7,987922
Italy81:7,644,586115,463
Argentina71:6,106,202178,634
Japan71:18,263,47047,869
Iceland61:63,3484,218
Qatar61:393,00055,922
British Virgin Islands51:6,319600
Russia51:28,824,611530,332
Sudan51:7,502,0398,188
Curaçao41:39,312638
Fiji41:223,5982,635
Gambia41:480,863548
Namibia41:602,35012,421
Oman41:921,9937,313
Afghanistan31:10,717,72835,605
Belarus31:3,167,020121,664
Colombia31:15,924,69128,711
Moldova31:1,187,12348,973
Peru31:10,594,70845,902
Puerto Rico31:1,183,3805,289
Vietnam31:30,882,0184,101
Bahamas21:195,8761,708
Bangladesh21:79,678,38625,993
Bulgaria21:3,489,45264,958
Cambodia21:7,743,57311,959
Egypt21:45,967,877132,655
Malawi21:8,559,55434,093
Poland21:19,004,374199,659
South Korea21:25,620,1284,175
Taiwan21:11,722,37363,559
Tanzania21:26,470,806111,653
Uganda21:19,519,640189,114
Zambia21:7,924,96145,994
Albania11:2,914,05529,474
Angola11:26,989,21411,853
Bahrain11:1,348,60810,432
Brunei11:418,7313,893
Czechia11:10,633,469206,023
Finland11:5,496,70284,025
Georgia11:3,745,54547,852
Hungary11:9,816,27773,288
Indonesia11:132,249,194811,426
Jordan11:8,842,43726,010
Kazakhstan11:17,682,496204,010
Kenya11:46,179,900103,372
Laos11:6,588,3231,961
Lesotho11:2,032,55823,402
Luxembourg11:580,54215,155
Montserrat11:4,947471
Norfolk Island11:2,295315
Northern Mariana Islands11:54,5801,498
Saudi Arabia11:30,855,81763,028
Senegal11:14,579,34211,705
Sierra Leone11:7,089,6311,533
Somalia11:13,452,0619,224
Sri Lanka11:20,808,56018,521
Togo11:7,247,76812,049
Turkey11:77,821,422191,047
Turks and Caicos Islands11:34,329862
Ukraine11:45,522,696503,646
Vanuatu11:263,2762,086
Show All Nations
PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
Ireland2721:16,2862,027
Incidence (high to low)Incidence (low to high)Alphabetic A-ZAlphabetic Z-ARank (high to low)Rank (low to high)
PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
England4,9121:4,962750
Wales1141:13,758821
Scotland721:51,9893,520
Jersey101:5,188903
Guernsey21:16,3281,834
PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
United States9,3121:5,393672

The alternate forms: Šampšon (1) are calculated separately.

Sampson (70,995) may also be a first name.

Sampson Surname Meaning

From Where Does The Surname Originate? meaning and history

This surname is derived from the name of an ancestor. 'the son of Samson' Old English Sampson; Old French Sanson. With the forms Sansom, &c, compare Ransome for Ranson, or the dictionary word random for randon. It has been stated that Sansom stands for some local St. Anselm (compare Semple for St. Paul, Sampier for St. Pierre). This is without foundation. As a personal name Samson was in very early use. Mr. Freeman has three instances in Index to vol. iv (History Norman Conquest). One was Bishop of Worcester; a second, chaplain to William I; a third, messenger to Matilda. The following entries concern one individual:

Sampson Foliot, Henry III-Edward I: Testa de Nevill, sive Liber Feodorum, temp. Henry III-Edward I.

Sanson Foliot, ibid.

Saunsum Foliot, ibid.

Sansum le Rus, Cambridgeshire, 1273. Hundred Rolls.

Samson de Baterford, Bedfordshire, ibid.

Sampson de Boxe, Wiltshire, ibid.

'Item, the vi. day of Aprylle, my mastyr made a couvenaunt wyth Saunsain, the tylere, that he schalle perget,' &c.: Accounts of Sir John Howard (A.D. 1467).; Promptorium Parvulorum.)

A well-known monastery near Rouen was built by the Archbishop of Dol, known as St. Sansone or St. Sampson. The personal name lingered long in Cornwall, where so many pre-Reformation favourites died hard.

1559. Married — John Sampson and Elizabeth Clarke, widow: St. Michael, Cornhill.

1582. Baptised — Warne, son of Sampson Morcambe: Reg. St. Columb Major, Cornwall.

1736. Married — Abraham Sampson and Ann Lawton: St. George, Hanover Square.Stolen from Fore bears

1756. — Thomas Younger and Ann Sansum: ibid.

1769. — John Sansom and Elizabeth Bellton: ibid.

1777. — Moses Samson and Mary Best: ibid.

— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames (1896) by Charles Wareing Endell Bardsley

1 Splendid Sun [Hebrew Shimshón] Samsones strencþe, þet slouh a þusund of his fon [foes] al et one time.— Ancren Riwle (‘Luve’) We find both forms of the name in mediæval German literature, e.g. Sampson in Hugo von Montfort’s 14th.cent. ‘Tagelied,’ and Samson in the 12th-cent. ‘Alex-anderlied’ of the Pfaffen Lamprecht.

2 Sam’s Son: v. Samuel.

— Surnames of the United Kingdom (1912) by Henry Harrison

See Samson.

— South African Surnames (1965) by Eric Rosenthal

(English) The son of Sam, a pet form of Samuel (God hath heard); descendant of Samson (splendid sun).

— Dictionary of American Family Names (1956) by Elsdon Coles Smith

Not from the Hebrew worthy, but the son of Sam, or Samuel, the P being inserted, as in Thompson, Simpson, Jempson, &c., for strength and euphony.

— Patronymica Britannica (1860) by Mark Antony Lower

Or De St. Sampson, from that lordship near Caen, Normandy. Ralph de St. Sansom accompanied the Conqueror, and 1086 held estates in several counties (Domesd. 16, 87b, 247 b, bis). William Sampson, his descendant, was summoned to Parliament as a baron 1297-1304. The Sampsons of Playford, Suffolk, an ancient branch of this family (who bore the arms), were ancestors of Thomas S., Dean of Christ Church, so celebrated in the Puritan controversy, t. Elizabeth. Robert de S. Sansom, Normandy 1198 (Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae); Nicholas, William, Christian, Henry, Walter Sanso, or Sanson, 1180-95 (Ib.)

— The Norman People (1874)
DNA test information
Display Statistics on:

Sampson Demographics

Sampson Religious Adherence
in Ireland

Sample size: 272 (1901)

Religious Adherence
in Ireland

View the most religious surnames in Ireland

Sampson Last Name Facts

Where Does The Last Name Sampson Come From? nationality or country of origin

The last name Sampson (Hindi: सम्प्सोन, Marathi: पसोन, Russian: Сампсон) is found in The United States more than any other country or territory. It may appear in the variant forms: Šampšon. Click here for further potential spellings of this name.

How Common Is The Last Name Sampson? popularity and diffusion

The surname is the 4,306th most numerous surname globally, held by around 1 in 55,688 people. The last name occurs mostly in The Americas, where 47 percent of Sampson reside; 43 percent reside in North America and 43 percent reside in Anglo-North America. It is also the 13,690th most commonly occurring given name on earth. It is borne by 70,995 people.

The surname is most commonly used in The United States, where it is borne by 50,077 people, or 1 in 7,238. In The United States it is primarily concentrated in: California, where 8 percent reside, Texas, where 7 percent reside and Florida, where 6 percent reside. Outside of The United States Sampson occurs in 135 countries. It also occurs in Nigeria, where 30 percent reside and England, where 7 percent reside.

Sampson Family Population Trend historical fluctuation

The incidence of Sampson has changed over time. In The United States the share of the population with the surname expanded 538 percent between 1880 and 2014; in England it expanded 198 percent between 1881 and 2014; in Wales it expanded 324 percent between 1881 and 2014; in Scotland it expanded 350 percent between 1881 and 2014 and in Ireland it contracted 24 percent between 1901 and 2014.

Sampson Last Name Statistics demography

The religious devotion of those carrying the Sampson last name is predominantly Catholic (56%) in Ireland and Christian (100%) in Nigeria.

In The United States Sampson are 4.01% more likely to be registered with the Republican Party than the national average, with 50.78% being registered to vote for the political party.

The amount Sampson earn in different countries varies somewhat. In Norway they earn 1.99% less than the national average, earning 339,191 kr per year; in South Africa they earn 0.76% more than the national average, earning R 239,436 per year; in United States they earn 3.88% less than the national average, earning $41,474 USD per year and in Canada they earn 7.96% less than the national average, earning $45,728 CAD per year.

Phonetically Similar Names

Incidence (high to low)Incidence (low to high)Alphabetic A-ZAlphabetic Z-ASimilarity (high to low)Similarity (low to high)Prevalent jurisdiction A-ZPrevalent jurisdiction Z-A
SurnameSimilarityWorldwide IncidencePrevalency
Sampsoen9320/
Sampsont9319/
Sammpson9314/
Sampsoon935/
Sampsson935/
Sasmpson934/
Sampsion933/
Sampsone933/
Saimpson932/
Shampson932/
Saampson932/
Samnpson931/
Sanmpson931/
Samppson931/
Sampsond931/
Sajmpson931/
Ssampson931/
Samphson930/
Seampson930/
Šampšon901/
Sampsom86252/
Sompson8635/
Sampsan8627/
Sanpson8625/
Sampsen8621/
Sambson864/
Sampsonova8246/
Sampsonová821/
Champson802/
Siompson801/
Sammpsan801/
Shompson801/
Hsampsan800/
Seimpson800/
Soumpson800/
Champsion751/
Sonpson7113/
Sompsom713/
Xampxon711/
Sampsam711/
Zanpson711/
Zampzon711/
Sampsum711/
Chompson6718/
Champchong591/
Chompsan531/
Chonpson531/
Show All Similar Surnames

Sampson Name Transliterations

TransliterationICU LatinPercentage of Incidence
Sampson in the Marathi language
पसोनpasona-
Sampson in the Hindi language
सम्प्सोनsampsona66.67
सैम्पसनsaimpasana33.33
Sampson in the Russian language
Сампсонsampson-

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Footnotes

  • Surnames are taken as the first part of an person's inherited family name, caste, clan name or in some cases patronymic
  • Descriptions may contain details on the name's etymology, origin, ethnicity and history. They are largely reproduced from 3rd party sources; diligence is advised on accepting their validity - more information
  • Name distribution statistics are generated from a global database of over 4 billion people - more information
  • Heatmap: Dark red means there is a higher occurrence of the name, transitioning to light yellow signifies a progressively lower occurrence. Clicking on selected countries will show mapping at a regional level
  • Rank: Name are ranked by incidence using the ordinal ranking method; the name that occurs the most is assigned a rank of 1; name that occur less frequently receive an incremented rank; if two or more name occur the same number of times they are assigned the same rank and successive rank is incremented by the total preceeding names
  • Ethnic group cannot necessarily be determined by geographic occurrence
  • Similar: Names listed in the "Similar" section are phonetically similar and may not have any relation to Sampson
  • To find out more about this surname's family history, lookup records on Family​Search, My​Heritage, FindMyPast and Ancestry. Further information may be obtained by DNA analysis