This interesting name has two possible origins, the first of which is from the biblical name "Samson", derived from the Hebrew "Shimshon", a diminutive of "shemesh", sun. Among Christians Samson was given as a personal name, and also as a nickname, referring to the great strength of the biblical character. As a given name, Samson was often bestowed in honour of the popular 6th Century Welsh bishop so named, who travelled to Brittany and founded the abbey of Dol where he was buried, and venerated as a saint. His name may have been an altered form of a Celtic original, or from the biblical character; it was introduced into England, particulary Yorkshire and the eastern counties, by Breton followers of the Conqueror. The second possible origin of the modern surname, found as Samson, Sampson, Samsin, Sansam, Sansom(e) and Sanson, is locational, from any one of the places in Normandy called "Saint-Samson". Henry Samson married Dorathe Duckett in London on December 5th 1587. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Albert de Samsona, which was dated 1086, in the Ancient Charters of Ely, Cambridgeshire, during the reign of King William 1, known as "The Conqueror", 1066 - 1087. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

© Copyright: Name Origin Research 1980 - 2024