Contents [hide]

Samuel History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand West Indies

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

Samuel History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

It was among those Anglo-Saxon tribes that once ruled over Britain that the name Samuel was formed. The name was derived from the baptismal name for the son of Samuel. This ancient Hebrew font name meaning name of God was not common in the Middle Ages, but was not necessarily of Jewish origin. There were many records of the surname Samuel of English descent.

Early Origins of the Samuel family

The surname Samuel was first found in Cornwall where they held a family seat from early times. The family name first appeared on the early census rolls taken by the early Kings of Britain to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects.

Early History of the Samuel family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Samuel research. Another 76 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1551, 1559, 1569, 1628, 1654, 1674, 1676, 1689, 1690, 1694, 1705 and 1748 are included under the topic Early Samuel History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Samuel Spelling Variations

Until the dictionary, an invention of only the last few hundred years, the English language lacked any comprehensive system of spelling rules. Consequently, spelling variations in names are frequently found in early Anglo-Saxon and later Anglo-Norman documents. One person's name was often spelled several different ways over a lifetime. The recorded variations of Samuel include Samwell, Samuel, Samuell, Samway, Samuels and others.

Early Notables of the Samuel family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

William Samuel (fl. 1551-1569), English divine and poet, perhaps connected with the Samwells of Northampton; Sir William Samwell (1559-1628), Auditor of the Exchequer to Queen Elizabeth I of England...
Edward Samuel (1674-1748), Welsh divine, son of Edward Samuel, was born in 1674 at Cwt y Defaid in the parish of Penmorfa, Carnarvonshire. "His parents were poor, and he owed his education to the inte...
On the infamous side, Abraham Samuel (died 1705), known as "Tolinar Rex," was a mulatto pirate of the Indian Ocean in the days of the Pirate Round

Samuel Ranking

In the United States, the name Samuel is the 1,678^th most popular surname with an estimated 17,409 people with that name. 1 However, in France, the name Samuel is ranked the 3,789^th most popular surname with an estimated 1,500 - 2,000 people with that name. 2

Migration of the Samuel family to Ireland

Some of the Samuel family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 31 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Samuel migration to the United States +

Thousands of English families boarded ships sailing to the New World in the hope of escaping the unrest found in England at this time. Although the search for opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad took the lives of many because of the cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels, the opportunity perceived in the growing colonies of North America beckoned. Many of the settlers who survived the journey went on to make important contributions to the transplanted cultures of their adopted countries. The Samuel were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records:

Samuel Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Mr. Edward Samuel, who was aboard the ship "Sea Venture" heading to Virginia when she wrecked of the coast of Bermuda, he was killed shortly after arriving.
John Samuel, who settled in Nantasket in 1630
Edward Samuel, who settled in Virginia in 1643
Robert Samuel, who arrived in Maryland in 1673 3
Daniel Samuel, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1678-1679 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Samuel Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Jonas Samuel, who landed in New York in 1709 3
Elizabeth Samuel, who arrived in Boston, Massachusetts in 1718 3
Levy Samuel, who arrived in New York in 1740-1741 3
Myers Samuel, who arrived in Maryland in 1740 3

Samuel Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Meirs Samuel, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1806 3
Charles Samuel, who landed in New York, NY in 1831 3
Fanny M Samuel, who landed in New York, NY in 1846 3
Morris L Samuel, who landed in New York, NY in 1846 3
S Samuel, aged 43, who arrived in Boston, Massachusetts in 1849 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Samuel Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Otto Herman Samuel, who arrived in Wisconsin in 1914 3
Gustaf Albert Samuel, who arrived in Wisconsin in 1923 3

Samuel migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Samuel Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

George Samuel, aged 16, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Condor" in 1838

Samuel migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Samuel Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Barnett Samuel, English convict from London, who was transported aboard the "Anson" on September 23, 1843, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 4
John Samuel, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Hooghly" in 1848 5
Thomas Samuel, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Hooghly" in 1848 5
Miss Margaret Samuel, (Lennox), Scottish convict who was convicted in Edinburgh, Scotland for 7 years , transported aboard the "Aurora" on 22nd April 1851, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 6
John Samuel, aged 26, a miner, who arrived in South Australia in 1856 aboard the ship "Switzerland"
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Samuel migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Samuel Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

James Samuel, aged 21, a labourer, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Reiherstieg" in 1864
Elizabeth Samuel, aged 49, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Reiherstieg" in 1864
Mr. Falso Samuel, (b. 1842), aged 32, British settler travelling from England aboard the ship "Varuna" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 27th May 1874 7

Samuel migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 8

Samuel Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Roger Samuel, who settled in Barbados in 1684

Contemporary Notables of the name Samuel (post 1700) +

Tyshun Raequan "Deebo" Samuel (b. 1996), American football wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers
Phillip III Samuel, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Florida, 2000 9
Noble B. Samuel, American politician, Member of Virgin Islands legislature, 1973-76 9
Kenneth L. Samuel, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Georgia, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008 9
Julius J. Samuel, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Connecticut State House of Representatives from Windsor, 1902 9
Jim Samuel, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Ohio, 2008 9
Howard D. Samuel, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New York, 1964 9
Herman L. Samuel, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Michigan, 1984 9
Edmund William Samuel (1857-1930), American Republican politician, U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania 16th District, 1905-07 9
Bernard Samuel (1880-1954), American politician, Mayor of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1941-52; Speaker, Democratic National Convention, 1948 9
... (Another 10 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Samuel family +

HMS Prince of Wales

Mr. E Samuel, British Ordinary Seaman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 10

RMS Titanic

Mr. Owen Wilmore Samuel (d. 1912), aged 41, English Saloon Steward from Southampton, Hampshire who worked aboard the RMS Titanic and died in the sinking and was recovered by CS Mackay-Bennett 11

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2015, January 8) Anson voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1843 with 499 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/anson/1843
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) HOOGHLY 1848. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1848Hooghly.htm
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 20th August 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/aurora
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 22) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html
Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html