Sam History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  England 


Early Origins of the Sam family

The surname Sam was first found in Essex where the surname is descended from the tenant of the lands of Kelveden Hatch held by a steward of Westminster Abbey who was recorded in the Domesday Book census of 1086.

William de Sahan (died 1304), was an English judge, who may have been the son of Robert de Saham, but his father's name seems to have been Ralph. It is generally thought that he was a native of Saham Toney, Norfolk. 1

Early History of the Sam family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Sam research. Another 116 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1510, 1600, 1636 and 1679 are included under the topic Early Sam History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sam Spelling Variations

Endless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Sames, Sams, Sammes, Samms, Sam, Same, Samme and others.

Early Notables of the Sam family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Sam World Ranking

In the United States, the name Sam is the 4,017th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 2 However, in France, the name Sam is ranked the 4,589th most popular surname with an estimated 1,500 - 2,000 people with that name. 3 And in South Africa, the name Sam is the 878th popular surname with an estimated 7,947 people with that name. 4


Sam migration to the United States +

To escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Sam or a variant listed above:

Sam Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
Sam Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Sam 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. 6
Sam Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Sam (post 1700) +
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