Sims History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland
England

The name Sims is the product of a saga that began among the ancient Boernician tribes of Scotland. It is derived from the Medieval given name Sim which was derived from Simon, but denoted son of Simon. 1

Early Origins of the Sims family

The surname Sims was first found in East Lothian, where the name is a diminutive of Symon and Simeon.

In "Symmie and his Bruder," a satire in the vein of Peblis to the play, we have mention of "Bayth Sym and his bruder," and "Nowthir Syme nor his bruder." 2

Moreover, "Sim is not always representative of Clan Moc-Shimidh as some think-it is a common English name as well." 2

Early records of the name in Scotland include: "Sym Clerk [who] witnessed an instrument of resignation in 1446, John Sym de Banchry, recorded in 1503, Andrew Sym, vicar of Cumry (Comrie) in 1530 and William Sym [who] witnessed a precept of clare constat of 1548. William Sym in Nether Possill is recorded in 1596." 2

At about this time, we also found records in England, specifically Thomas Symme, listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. Christopher Sims, Berkshire appears in the Register of the University of Oxford in 1504; and Ellen Simms, of Warrington is listed in the Wills of Chester in 1593. 1

Early History of the Sims family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Sims research. Another 119 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1162, 1503, 1530, 1596, 1753, 1755, 1774, 1787, 1791, 1793, 1794, 1795, 1799, 1800, 1808, 1809, 1831, 1843, 1845, 1859, 1861, 1866, 1867, 1870, 1889 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Sims History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sims Spelling Variations

Spelling rules had not yet evolved in medieval Scotland, some names dating from that era often appear many different ways. Some spelling variations of Sims include Simms, Symes, Sime, Simes, Sim, Sym, Syms, Syme and others.

Early Notables of the Sims family

Notable amongst the family name during their early history was John Syme (1755-1831), nicknamed "Stamp-Office Johnny," a close friend of Robert Burns'. In the summers of 1793 and 1794, he joined Burns on his two short tours of Galloway. He and Alexander Cunningham were amongst the most active of the friends and admirers of Burns's works who raised funds for the poet's family. Together with Dr Willam Maxwell he arranged Burns's funeral. 3Michael Symes (1753?-1809), was a British soldier and diplomatist, born about 1753, entered the army about 1787, and went to India in the following year with the newly raised...
Another 249 words (18 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Sims Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sims World Ranking

In the United States, the name Sims is the 195^th most popular surname with an estimated 129,324 people with that name. 4 However, in Australia, the name Sims is ranked the 437^th most popular surname with an estimated 8,615 people with that name. 5 And in New Zealand, the name Sims is the 644^th popular surname with an estimated 1,116 people with that name. 6 The United Kingdom ranks Sims as 496^th with 12,983 people. 7

Migration of the Sims family to Ireland

Some of the Sims family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 77 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sims migration to the United States +

The Boernician-Scottish people who came to North America were often nearly penniless when they arrived, and brought very few personal effects with them. Much Scottish heritage was lost in the process, and it is only this century that highland games, Clan societies, and other patriotic Scottish organizations have helped the ancestors of Scots to rediscover their national legacy. Simss were some of the first of the immigrants to arrive in North America:

Sims Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Andrew Sims, who landed in Virginia in 1635 8
Bartholomew Sims, who arrived in Virginia in 1663-1664 8
Job Sims who settled in Nevis in 1663
Samuel Sims, who arrived in Maryland or Virginia in 1672 8
Eleanor Sims, who landed in Maryland in 1679 8
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Sims Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Thomas Sims, who landed in Virginia in 1714 8
Thomas Sims, who arrived in Virginia in 1716 8
John Sims, who settled in Maryland in 1737
William Sims, who settled in Virginia in 1749
Joanna Sims, who landed in Virginia in 1750 8
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Sims Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Charles H Sims, who arrived in Texas in 1835 8
Henry Sims, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1838 8
Robert Sims, who arrived in New York in 1838 8
Mr. John Sims, (b. 1822), aged 18, English miner departing from England aboard the Ship "Royal Adelaide" arriving in the United States on 21st April 1840 9
John Sims, who landed in Mississippi in 1840 8
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Sims migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Sims Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

John Sims, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1749
John Sims, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1750
Robert Sims, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1750
Fardinando Sims, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1750
Fred Sims, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1750
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Sims migration to Australia +

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

Sims Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Thomas Sims, English convict who was convicted in Essex, England for life, transported aboard the "Duke of Portland" in January 1807, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 10
Mr. Thomas Sims, (b. 1765), aged 48, English seaman who was convicted in Winchester, Hampshire, England for 7 years for an offence against the crown, transported aboard the "Earl Spencer" in May 1813, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 11
Mr. Daniel Sims, English convict who was convicted in Surrey, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Atlas" on 16th January 1816, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 12
Ebenezer Sims, a bricklayer, who arrived in Van Diemen’s Land (now Tasmania) sometime between 1825 and 1832
Mr. William Sims, English convict who was convicted in Dorset, England for life, transported aboard the "Burrell" on 22nd July 1830, arriving in New South Wales 13
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Sims 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:

Sims Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

James Sims, aged 39, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Duchess of Argyle" in 1842
Margaret Sims, aged 36, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Duchess of Argyle" in 1842
James Sims, aged 17, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Duchess of Argyle" in 1842
Margaret Sims, aged 14, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Duchess of Argyle" in 1842
John Sims, aged 11, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Duchess of Argyle" in 1842
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Sims 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. 14

Sims Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Henry Sims, who settled in Barbados in 1685

Contemporary Notables of the name Sims (post 1700) +

Christopher Albert "Chris" Sims (b. 1942), American econometrician and macroeconomist, recipient of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences (2011)
Joyce Sims (1959-2022), American singer and songwriter, best known for her hit single, "Come into My Life" which reached the top 10 in both the US Billboard R&B Chart and the UK Singles Chart in 1987
Leonard Henly Sims (1807-1886), American politician, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Missouri (1845-1847)
Jena Michelle Sims (b. 1988), American actress, known for B movies like Attack of the 50 Foot Cheerleader (2012), 3-Headed Shark Attack (2015) and Sharknado 5: Global Swarming (2017), Miss Georgia Teen USA in 2007
Jocko Sims (b. 1981), American actor, best known for playing Anthony Adams in Crash and later playing Carlton Burk in the series The Last Ship
Bill Sims Jr. (1949-2019), American blues musician
Scott Sims DVM (1955-2015), American veterinarian and television personality
William Sowden Sims (1858-1936), American admiral in the United States Navy, recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for History (1921), eponym of the USS Sims (DD-409), USS Sims (DE-153), USS W. S. Sims (DE-1059) and the USS Admiral W. S. Sims (AP-127)
John Haley "Zoot" Sims (1925-1985), American jazz saxophonist
Michael Sims (b. 1948), noted American nonfiction writer
... (Another 17 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Sims family +

HMS Hood

Mr. William Sims (b. 1920), English Engine Room Artificer 4th Class serving for the Royal Navy from Chobham, Surrey, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 15

HMS Royal Oak

Frank G. Sims, British Leading Supply Assistant with the Royal Navy aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he survived the sinking 16

The Sims 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: Fortuna et labore
Motto Translation: By fortune and labor.

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
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)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"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
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)
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 30). Emigrants to New York 1820 - 1891 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_new_york_1820_1891.pdf
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 28th July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/duke-of-portland
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 8th September 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-spencer
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th July 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/atlas
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 5th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/burrell
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm
Ships hit by U-boats crew list HMS Royal Oak (08) - (Retrieved 2018 February, 9th) - retrieved from https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/crews/ship68.html