Sampson
A surname from the biblical name Samson, meaning “son of Samuel” in some later surname traditions but often simply a variant of Samson.
The #886 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 7,861 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Sampson is generally a surname formed from the personal name Samson, the biblical name ultimately from Hebrew Shimshon, traditionally linked with the idea of “sun” or “sun-like.” In English records, Sampson is commonly treated as a spelling variant of Samson rather than a completely separate origin. Some older surname writers also connected related forms to Samuel-based names, but that is less certain and may reflect later confusion between similar names.
History
The surname appears in medieval and post-medieval records in England, and later became established in English-speaking countries more broadly. Spelling was never fixed, so Samson and Sampson often alternated in records. The name also spread through Jewish and Christian communities because the biblical personal name was widely used.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The giant Samson of the Bible made the name familiar across Europe, which is one reason it generated so many surname forms.
From the historical record
“-el, Lat. -ell-US'] . Sampson le Maunsel.^-jHa«rf. Rolls. Robert le Mansel. — Plac. Dam. Cap. Westm.”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)