| ![Show Contents]() Sampsoen History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
France
Etymology of SampsoenWhat does the name Sampsoen mean? The name Sampsoen is from Normandy, France. 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 Another source claims the name to be derived from the Hebrew given name Shemuel, meaning the name of God. Early Origins of the Sampsoen familyThe surname Sampsoen was first found in Normandy (French: Normandie), the former Duchy of Normandy, where this distinguished family held a family seat at Saint-Clair-Sur-Elle in Manche in the arrondissement of St.Lô, where one Ricardi Samsonis, the Latin name for Richard Sampson is described in a charter to Philip the Bishop of Bayeux in 1142, and he is named as occupant of the castle of Saint-Clair. 2 "A well-known monastery near Rouen was built by the Archbishop of Dol, known as St. Sansone or St. Sampson." 3 Early History of the Sampsoen familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Sampsoen research. Another 56 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Sampsoen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Sampsoen Spelling VariationsChanges of spelling have occurred in most surnames. The earliest explanation is that during the early development of the French language, names were not yet fixed in spelling. Usually a person gave his version of his name, phonetically, to a scribe, a priest, or a recorder. This depended on accent, and local accents frequently changed the spelling of a name. Some variables were adopted by different branches of the family name. Hence, there are some spelling variations of the name Sampsoen, including Samson, Samsons, Samsone, Samso, Samsun, Samsoen, Sampsoen, Sampson, Sampsonis and many more. Early Notables of the Sampsoen familyMore information is included under the topic Early Sampsoen Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Sampsoen familyIn 1643, 109 years after the first landings by Cartier, there were only about 300 people in Quebec. Migration was slow. The fur trade attracted migrants, both noble and commoner. By 1675, there were 7000 French in Quebec. By the same year the French Acadian presence in the Maritimes had reached 500. The French founded Lower Canada, thus becoming one of the two great founding nations of Canada. The family name Sampsoen has made many distinguished contributions in France and New France to the world of science, culture, religion, and education. Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Sampsoen were Henry Samson who settled in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1620; Charlemagne Samson settled in New Orleans La. in 1823; Samuel Samson landed in New York State in 1849 with his wife and four children.
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
- Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
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