Contents [hide]

Simonds History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Citations

Simonds History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland
Scotland

While surnames were well-known during the English medieval period, Cornish People originally used only a single name. The way in which hereditary surnames came into common use is interesting. Under the Feudal System of government, surnames evolved and they often reflected life on the manor and in the field. Patronymic surnames were derived from given names and were the predominant type of surname among the Celtic peoples of Britain. However, the people of Cornwall provide a surprising exception to this rule, and patronymic surnames are less common among them than other people of Celtic stock, such as their Welsh neighbors. This type of surname blended perfectly with the prevailing Feudal System. One feature that is occasionally found in Cornish surnames of this type is the suffix -oe or -ow; this is derived from the Cornish plural suffix -ow. is a patronymic surname that came from the first name of the bearer's father, meaning literally "son of Simon." Alternatively, the name could have "come from the Domesday name Simund, which is distinct from Simon." 1

Simon was a popular biblical name and comes ultimately from the ancient Hebrew personal name Shimon, meaning "to hearken." 2

The name appears as a character in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales: 'Awake, Simond, the fend is on me fall.'

Early Origins of the Simonds family

The surname Simonds was first found in Devon and in Cornwall, where the family held a family seat since ancient times.

The ancient Latin form of the name Simmunddnrus was listed in the Domesday Book of 1086. 3

Simeon or Symeon of Durham (fl. 1130), was an English historian, a monk of Durham, being thirty-eighth on his own list of the monks of that house. Saint Simeon Stock (1165?-1265), was general of the Carmelite friars and is said to have been born in Kent of noble parents about 1165. "From his earliest years he was devoted to religion, and, according to the legend, owed his surname to the fact that from his twelfth year he lived a hermit's life in the trunk or stock of a tree for twenty years. " 4

Simeon of Warwick (died 1295), was an English historian who became a Benedictine monk at St. Mary's, York, and in 1258 was elected abbot.

In Scotland, the first records of the family were "Symon, capellanus, [who] witnessed a charter by William Bruce to Adam Carlyle, c. 1194-1214, and Symon or Simon, archidiaconus of Aberdeen, a charter witness, 1172." 5

Early History of the Simonds family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Simonds research. Another 113 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1178, 1273, 1379, 1388, 1475, 1487, 1500, 1525, 1528, 1586, 1614, 1617, 1623, 1624, 1640, 1665, 1687, 1692, 1815 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Simonds History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Simonds Spelling Variations

Cornish surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The official court languages, which were Latin and French, were also influential on the spelling of a surname. Since the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. Lastly, spelling variations often resulted from the linguistic differences between the people of Cornwall and the rest of England. The Cornish spoke a unique Brythonic Celtic language which was first recorded in written documents during the 10th century. However, they became increasingly Anglicized, and Cornish became extinct as a spoken language in 1777, although it has been revived by Cornish patriots in the modern era. The name has been spelled Symons, Symonds, Symond, Simmins, Simins, Simmonds, Simonds, Simond, Simmons, Simon, Simmon, Simmen, Symon and many more.

Early Notables of the Simonds family

Notable amongst the family at this time was John Symons, M.P. for Helston in 1388; Thomas Simon (c. 1623-1665), English medalist, born in Yorkshire who studied engraving under Nicholas Briot; Samuel Simmons (1640-1687), an English printer, best known as the first publisher of several works by John Milton; Abraham Simon (1617-1692?), an English medalist to the Royal Mint with his brother, Thomas Simon (c. 1623-1665); and Richard Symonds (1617-1692?), an English Royalist and antiquary, best known for his eye-witness diary of the events of the First English Civil War. Sir George Simeon was an English landowner and politician, Member of Parliament...
Another 114 words (8 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Simonds Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Simonds Ranking

In the United States, the name Simonds is the 5,430^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 6

Migration of the Simonds family to Ireland

Some of the Simonds family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 62 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Simonds migration to the United States +

An investigation of the immigration and passenger lists has revealed a number of people bearing the name Simonds:

Simonds Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Thomas Simonds, who landed in Maryland in 1640 7
George Simonds, who landed in Maryland in 1652 7
Mary Simonds, who landed in Virginia in 1665 7
Nathaniel Simonds, who arrived in Virginia in 1666 7
Herlackendine Simonds, who arrived in Boston in 1673
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Simonds Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Catherine Simonds, who arrived in Virginia in 1700 7

Simonds Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Mr. Simonds, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850 7
L Simonds, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 7

Simonds migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Simonds Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. James Simonds U.E. who settled in Charlotte County, New Brunswick c. 1784 8

Simonds Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

William Simonds, who landed in Canada in 1841

Simonds migration to Australia +

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

Simonds Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Jacob Simonds, (Harris), English convict who was convicted in Lancaster, Lancashire, England for life, transported aboard the "Fame" on 9th October 1816, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 9
Mr. James Simonds, British Convict who was convicted in Berkshire, England for 14 years for machine breaking, transported aboard the "Eleanor" on 26th June 1831, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 10
Mr. William Simonds, British Convict who was convicted in Berkshire, England for 7 years for machine breaking, transported aboard the "Eleanor" on 26th June 1831, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 10
Mr. Michael Simonds, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Augusta Jessie" on 27 September 1834, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 11

Simonds 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:

Simonds Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

J.L. Simonds, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1842
W.S. Simonds, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1842

Contemporary Notables of the name Simonds (post 1700) +

William E. Simonds (1842-1903), United States Representative and Medal of Honor recipient
William Simonds (1822-1859), American author who usually used the pen-name Walter Aimwell
George S. Simonds (1874-1938), U.S. Army General
William Barrow Simonds (1820-1911), English politician, MP for Winchester
William Blackall Simonds (1761-1834), English brewer and banker
George Blackall Simonds (1843-1929), English sculptor and director of H & G Simonds Brewery
Merilyn Simonds (b. 1949), Canadian writer, born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, her first literary work, The Convict Lover, a finalist for the 1996 Governor General's Awards.
Justin Daniel Simonds (1890-1967), Australian prelate of the Roman Catholic Church, 4th Archbishop of Melbourne from 1963 to 1967
Gavin Turnbull Simonds PC, KC (1881-1971), 1st Viscount Simonds, British judge and Lord Chancellor
Lieutenant General Guy Granville Simonds CC, CB, CBE, DSO, CD (1903-1974), Canadian soldier awarded the Croix de Guerre during WWII

Historic Events for the Simonds family +

Halifax Explosion

Mr. Charles Henry Simonds (1897-1917), Canadian resident from Africville, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 12

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 27th September 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/fairlie
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 9th February 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eleanor
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th August 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/augusta-jessie
Halifax Explosion Book of Remembrance | Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. (Retrieved 2014, June 23) . Retrieved from https://maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca/what-see-do/halifax-explosion/halifax-explosion-book-remembrance