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Sampson History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables World Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand West Indies

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

Sampson History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
France

The name Sampson 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 Sampson family

The surname Sampson 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 Sampson family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Sampson research. Another 56 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Sampson History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sampson Spelling Variations

French surnames were subject to numerous alterations in spelling because of the various cultural groups that inhabited specific regions. Eventually, each region possessed its own local dialect of the French language. The early development of the French language, however, was also influenced by other languages. For example, Old French was infused with Germanic words and sounds when barbarian tribes invaded and settled in France after the fall of the Roman Empire. Middle French also borrowed heavily from the Italian language during the Renaissance. As a result of these linguistic and cultural influences, the name Sampson is distinguished by a number of regional variations. The many spelling variations of the name include Samson, Samsons, Samsone, Samso, Samsun, Samsoen, Sampsoen, Sampson, Sampsonis and many more.

Early Notables of the Sampson family

More information is included under the topic Early Sampson Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sampson World Ranking

In the United States, the name Sampson is the 817^th most popular surname with an estimated 37,305 people with that name. 4 However, in Canada, the name Sampson is ranked the 846^th most popular surname with an estimated 6,325 people with that name. 5 And in Australia, the name Sampson is the 597^th popular surname with an estimated 6,542 people with that name. 6 New Zealand ranks Sampson as 811^st with 900 people. 7 The United Kingdom ranks Sampson as 942^nd with 7,369 people. 8 South Africa ranks Sampson as 899^th with 7,761 people. 9

Sampson migration to the United States +

By 1643 there were only about 300 people in Quebec. Since immigration was slow, early marriage was desperately encouraged amongst the immigrants. The fur trade attracted migrants, both noble and commoner. 15,000 explorers left Montreal in the late 17th and 18th centuries. By 1675, there were 7000 French in Quebec. By the same year the Acadian presence in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island had reached 500. In 1755, 10,000 French Acadians refused to take an oath of allegiance to England and were deported to Louisiana. The French founded Lower Canada, thus becoming one of the two great founding nations of Canada. The distinguished family name Sampson has made significant contributions to the culture, arts, sciences and religion of France and New France. Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Sampson were

Sampson Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Henry Sampson (Samson) arrived on the "Mayflower" in 1620
Harry Sampson, who arrived in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1620 10
Abraham Sampson, who landed in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1629-1630 10
Robert Sampson, who arrived Massachuetts aboard the "Arbella" with the Winthrope Fleet in 1630, he was bound for Boston. 10
Mr. Richard Sampson, (b. 1607), aged 28, British tailor travelling from London, England aboard the ship "Elizabeth and Anne" arriving in Massachusetts Bay (Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire) in 1635 11
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Sampson Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

William Sampson, who arrived in Virginia in 1702 10
Christopher Sampson, who landed in Virginia in 1717 10
James Sampson, who landed in America in 1760-1763 10
Dewald Sampson, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1765 10
Peter Sampson, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1765 10

Sampson Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Joseph Sampson, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1806 10
William Sampson, aged 41, who landed in New York in 1806 10
John Curran Sampson, aged 16, who landed in New York in 1810 10
Catharine Anne Sampson, aged 14, who landed in New York in 1810 10
Grace Sampson, aged 40, who landed in New York in 1810 10
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Sampson Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Mr. Richard Henry Sampson, (b. 1882), aged 22, Cornish miner travelling aboard the ship "St Louis" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 24th April 1904 en route to Houghton, Michigan, USA 12
Benedick Severin Sampson, who landed in Wisconsin in 1921 10

Sampson migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Sampson Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

William Sampson, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1749
William Sampson, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1750
Edward Sampson, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1750
Aaron Sampson, who arrived in Quebec in 1784
Theophilus Sampson, who arrived in Quebec in 1784

Sampson Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Janet Sampson, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1848

Sampson migration to Australia +

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

Sampson Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Sampson, English convict who was convicted in Lincolnshire (Parts of Lindsey), England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Elizabeth" in May 1816, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 13
William Sampson, English convict from Middlesex, who was transported aboard the "Agamemnon" on April 22, 1820, settling in New South Wales, Australia 14
Mr. James Sampson, British convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Bussorah Merchant" on 1st October 1829, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 15
Mr. Densley Sampson, English convict who was convicted in Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "David Lyon" on 29th April 1830, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 16
Mr. William Sampson, British Convict who was convicted in Lancaster, Lancashire, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Dunvegan Castle" on 13th March 1830, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 17
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Sampson 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:

Sampson Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Charles Sampson, (b. 1818), aged 22, English agricultural labourer born in Netherbury travelling from Plymouth aboard the ship "Timandra" arriving in New Plymouth, Taranaki, North Island, New Zealand on 24th February 1842 18
Mrs. Mary Sampson, (b. 1817), aged 22, English settler born in Dorset travelling from Plymouth aboard the ship "Timandra" arriving in New Plymouth, Taranaki, North Island, New Zealand on 24th February 1842 18
Miss Marina Sampson, (b. 1840), aged 9 months, British settler travelling from Plymouth aboard the ship "Timandra" arriving in New Plymouth, Taranaki, North Island, New Zealand on 24th February 1842 18
Gerard de Thierry Sampson, aged 33, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Inchinnan" in 1852 19
Ellen Sampson, aged 27, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Inchinnan" in 1852 19
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Sampson 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. 20

Sampson Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Peter Sampson, who settled in Barbados in 1670

Contemporary Notables of the name Sampson (post 1700) +

Zabdiel Sampson (1781-1828), American Democratic Party politician, U.S. Representative from Massachusetts 8th District, 1817-20; Resigned 1820; U.S. Collector of Customs, 1820-28; 21
William J. Sampson Jr., American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Ohio, 1956 21
William Sampson, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Kentucky, 1912 21
Warner J. Sampson, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Michigan 3rd District, 1902 21
Steven Sampson, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Nevada, 2000 21
Oscar C. Sampson, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Ohio, 1972 21
Nicholas Sampson (b. 1844), American Republican politician, Member of South Dakota State House of Representatives 19th District, 1901-04 21
John R. Sampson, American Republican politician, Postmaster at Bennettsville, South Carolina, 1878-81 21
John L. Sampson, American Democratic Party politician, Member of New York State Senate 19th District; Elected 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008; Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New York, 2008 21
Jessica Sampson, American politician, Representative from Arizona 2nd District, 1982 21
... (Another 43 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Sampson family +

Bradford City stadium fire

Jayne Sampson (1967-1985), from Leeds who attended the Bradford City and Lincoln City Third Division match on 11th May 1985 when the Bradford City stadium fire occurred and she died in the fire

Empress of Ireland

Mr. William Sampson (1861-1914), English Chief Engineer From Toxteth Park, Liverpool, England, United Kingdom who worked aboard the Empress of Ireland and survived the sinking 22
Mr. Samuel Sampson (1881-1914), Canadian Second Class Passenger from Guelph, Ontario, Canada who was traveling aboard the Empress of Ireland and died in the sinking 22

Halifax Explosion

Mr. Joseph Sampson (1880-1917), Canadian resident from Three Mile Plains, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 23
Mr. Nathan Sampson (1887-1917), Canadian resident from Three Mile Plains, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 23

HMAS Sydney II

Mr. Louis Nicholas Sampson (1907-1941), Australian Supply Chief Petty Officer from Forbes, New South Wales, Australia, who sailed into battle aboard HMAS Sydney II and died in the sinking 24

HMS Repulse

Mr. Ronald Sampson, British Marine, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and survived the sinking 25
Mr. Ronald Sampson, British Marine, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and survived the sinking 25

SS Atlantic

Patrick Sampson, who was traveling aboard the ship "SS Atlantic" when it struck rocks off Nova Scotia in 1873, survived the sinking

USS Arizona

Mr. Sherley Rolland Sampson, American Radioman Third Class from Minnesota, USA working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he died in the sinking 26

Citations +

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)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
"Most Common Last Names in South Africa." Forebears, https://forebears.io/south-africa/surnames
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)
Pilgrim Ship Lists Early 1600's. Retrieved 24th September 2021 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_ellis_island_1892_on.pdf
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 1st March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elizabeth
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Agamemnon voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1820 with 179 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/agamemnon/1820
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 10th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bussorah-merchant
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 3rd June 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/david-lyon
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 12th August 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/dunvegan-castle
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). 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, November 3) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Commemoration Empress of Ireland 2014. (Retrieved 2014, June 17) . Retrieved from http://www.empress2014.ca/seclangen/listepsc1.html
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
HMAS Sydney II, Finding Sydney Foundation - Roll of Honour. (Retrieved 2014, April 24) . Retrieved from http://www.findingsydney.com/roll.asp
HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html
Pearl Harbour: USS Arizona Casualties List Pearl Harbour December 7, 1941. (Retrieved 2018, July 31st). Retrieved from http://pearl-harbor.com/arizona/casualtylist.html