Simms
Usually a patronymic surname meaning “son of Simon,” with Simms as a genitive or possessive form of Sim.
The #1,340 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 11,745 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The name is generally explained as a patronymic from the medieval personal name Sim, itself a short form of Simon. In older English usage, adding -s often marked possession or descent, so Simms can mean “Simon’s son” or “belonging to Sim.” The deeper root of Simon is the biblical Hebrew name Shimon, commonly understood as meaning “he has heard.”
History
19th-century surname dictionaries consistently treat Simms as a close variant of Sims and as part of a wider family of Simon-derived surnames such as Simpson, Simson, and Simmonds. The spelling with double m is a familiar English variant rather than a separate origin. Bearers of the name appear in English records by the later Middle Ages.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Bardsley notes that Sims and Simms are essentially the same surname form, with the final -s functioning like the -s in Williams or Roberts.
From the historical record
“I Simmon(d)'s (Son). SIMMS, SIMM's (Son): v. SImm. I for Sumner, q.v. ■■ Simonett, q.v. SIMNER SIMNOR”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)