Samson History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  England 
  France 
  Ireland 


The surname Samson is a name that came to England in the 11th century wave of migration that was set off by the Norman Conquest of 1066. Samson comes from the Norman personal name Samson. As with the French version of the name, the root name Sanson or Samson is an Old French name given to "a Welsh bishop (fl. 550) who crossed over to Brittany and founded the abbey of Dol where he was buried and venerated as a saint. Whether his name is the Biblical Samson or one of Celtic origin is uncertain. Probably from Saint-Samson (Seine-Inférieure), or from Saint-Samson (Calvados), Saint-Samson-de-Bonfosse (La Manche) or Saint-Samson-de-la-Roque (Eure)." 1

Early Origins of the Samson family

The surname Samson was first found in Gloucestershire, but the family was quickly scattered throughout Britain as they claim descendancy from "De St. Sampson, from the lordship near Caen, Normandy. Ralph de St. Sansom accompanied the Conqueror, and [by] 1086 held estates in several counties. William Sampson, his descendant, was summoned to Parliament as a Baron 1297-1304. " 2

"A well-known monastery near Rouen was built by the Archbishop of Dol, known as St. Sansone or St. Sampson." 3

Sanson is recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, but the entry does not list what county. 4 As a forename, Samson, Sansone, Sampson Takel was listed in Lincolnshire and Samson Cornuwala was found in Yorkshire c. 1170. The Pipe Rolls of 1130 for Nottinghamshire lists Hugo Samson as holding lands there at that time. In Lancashire, Philip Sampson was listed there in 1192 and in Somerset, we found Hemericus Samsun in the Curia Regis Rolls for 1221. 1

"The name was popular in Yorkshire and the eastern counties where it was introduced by the Bretons after the Conquest, and also in the Welsh border counties where it no doubt came from Wales." 1

Interestingly, the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 includes only entries for the name as a forename: Sansum le Rus, Cambridgeshire; Samson de Baterford, Bedfordshire; and Sampson de Boxe, Wiltshire. 3

Samsom (died 1112), was and English divine, Bishop of Worcester, born at Douvres near Caen, was the son of Osbert and Muriel, who were of noble lineage.

Samsom (1135-1211), was Abbot of St. Edmund's, born at Tottington, near Thetford in Norfolk. "When nine years old he was taken by his mother on a pilgrimage to St. Edmund's. 'As a poor clerk,' he received gratuitous instruction from a schoolmaster named William of Diss. " 5

Early History of the Samson family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Samson research. Another 139 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1112, 1517, 1554, 1589, 1590, 1600, 1612, 1627, 1629, 1636, 1667, 1668, 1680, 1700, 1736, 1756, 1769 and 1777 are included under the topic Early Samson History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Samson Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval 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. The name has been spelled Sampson, Samson and others.

Early Notables of the Samson family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Nicolas Sanson (1600-1667), a French cartographer of Scottish descent; William Sampson (1590?-1636?), an English dramatist from Retford, Nottinghamshire; and his son, Henry Sampson (1629?-1700), an English nonconformist minister and physician. Born at South Leverton, Nottinghamshire, and after the Restoration, he preached for some time privately at Framlingham, and founded an independent congregation, which still exists. Turning to medicine, he studied at Padua and at Leyden, where he graduated M.D. on 12 July 1668. He practised in London, and was admitted an honorary fellow of the College of Physicians on 30 Sept. 1680. 5 Richard...
Another 100 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Samson Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Samson World Ranking

In the United States, the name Samson is the 3,120th most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 6 However, in Canada, the name Samson is ranked the 427th most popular surname with an estimated 10,982 people with that name. 7 And in Quebec, Canada, the name Samson is the 264th popular surname. 8 Newfoundland, Canada ranks Samson as 315th with 146 people. 9 France ranks Samson as 523rd with 8,685 people. 10

Migration of the Samson family to Ireland

Some of the Samson family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Samson migration to the United States +

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Samson or a variant listed above:

Samson Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
Samson Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
Samson Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Samson migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Samson Settlers in Canada in the 17th Century
Samson Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
Samson Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Samson migration to Australia +

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

Samson Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Samson 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:

Samson Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Samson (post 1700) +


The Samson Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Pejus letho flagitium
Motto Translation: Disgrace is worse than Death.
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