Explore the Family Name Samson
The meaning of Samson
1. English, Welsh, French, Breton, German, Dutch, Jewish, Filipino, African (mainly Nigeria, Tanzania, and Ethiopia), and West Indian (mainly Haiti); Hungarian (Sámson): from the Biblical personal name Samson (Hebrew Shimshon, a diminutive of shemesh ‘sun’). Among Christians it was sometimes chosen as a personal name or nickname with reference to the great strength of the Biblical hero (Judges 13–16). In Wales another association was with the 6th-century Welsh bishop Samson, who traveled to Brittany, where he died and was greatly venerated. His name, which is probably an altered form of an unknown Celtic original, was popularized in England by Breton followers of William the Conqueror, and to some extent independently from Wales. The English surname has been established in Ireland since the 14th century. In France, this surname is most common in Morbihan (Brittany). Compare Sampson. — Note: Since Ethiopians do not have hereditary surnames, the Ethiopian name was registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US. 2. Filipino: Chinese Filipino surname formed with Chinese 孫 or sūn ‘grandchild’ as the second element. The first element, 三 in Chinese, means ‘third’, a reference to birth order. See also 1 above. History: Gabriel Samson/Sanson from Saint-Gatien-des-Bois in Calvados, France, married Françoise Durand in Quebec City, QC, in 1669. Jacques Samson/Sanson from Saint-Gatien-des-Bois in Calvados, France, married Marie-Anne Métru in Quebec City, QC, in 1671. Some characteristic forenames: French Armand, Jacques, Andre, Alain, Herve, Pierre, Adelard, Arianne, Cecile, Dieudonne, Gedeon, Henri.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Samson in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Samson has seen a slight increase in popularity from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, it was ranked as the 3265th most common surname, with a count of 10,053 individuals. By 2010, its rank had increased slightly to 3246, with a count of 11,123 individuals, representing a growth of 10.64%. The proportion of people with this surname per 100,000 also experienced a minor increase from 3.73 to 3.77 during this decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3,265 | #3,246 | 0.58% |
| Count | 10,053 | 11,123 | 10.64% |
| Proportion per 100k | 3.73 | 3.77 | 1.07% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Samson
In terms of ethnic identity, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows some shifts from 2000 to 2010. The percentage of individuals with the surname Samson identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander grew by 24.74%, from 16.61% to 20.72%. The number identifying as having two or more ethnicities also increased from 2.73% to 3.39%. However, the percentage identifying as White decreased from 70.17% to 62.88%. Individuals identifying as Hispanic saw a modest increase from 2.88% to 3.25%, while those identifying as Black rose from 6.95% to 9.00%. Lastly, the small percentage identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native saw an increase from 0.66% to 0.76%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 70.17% | 62.88% | -10.39% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 16.61% | 20.72% | 24.74% |
| Black | 6.95% | 9% | 29.5% |
| Two or More Races | 2.73% | 3.39% | 24.18% |
| Hispanic | 2.88% | 3.25% | 12.85% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.66% | 0.76% | 15.15% |
Samson ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Samson is British & Irish, which comprises 30.7% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (20.7%) and Filipino & Austronesian (12.8%). Additional ancestries include Ashkenazi Jewish, Eastern European, Scandinavian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Italian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 30.7% |
| French & German | 20.7% |
| Filipino & Austronesian | 12.8% |
| Other | 35.8% |
Possible origins of the surname Samson
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Samson have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 55.00% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 55.00% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 54.60% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 54.20% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 53.80% |
What Samson haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Samson is R-CTS241, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS241 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include J-L26 and I-BY526, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Adam, Thomas, Austin, Evans, Thompson, Grey, Owens, Phillips, Roberts, Nicholas.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Samson surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Samson have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Samson" Surname 45.3%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Samson" Surname 26.8%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Samson" Surname 13.6%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Samson" Surname 14.7%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Samson?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Samson are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition