Samuel Family History

14-Day Free Trial

GET STARTED

Samuel Name Meaning

English, Scottish, Welsh, French, German, Dutch, Hungarian (Sámuel), Jewish, and South Indian: from the Biblical male personal name Samuel (Hebrew Shemuel ‘Name of God’). This name is also well established in South India. In North America this has absorbed other European cognates such as Greek Samouelidis. It is found as a personal name among Christians in India, and in the U.S. is used as a family name among families from southern India.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press


Similar surnames: Saul, Hamel, Kamel, Manuel, Sandel, Rammel, Savel, Samel, Amsel

Ready to discover your family story?

Simply start with yourself and we'll do the searching for you.

NEW

Samuel Ethnicity Estimate

What are the common regions with the Samuel name?

These results combine data from everyone in the AncestryDNA® database with the last name Samuel. The Ancestry® ethnicity regions shown are top five most common on average for these people.

Explore the full experience here

  • England & Wales

    25%

  • Cameroon, Congo, & Southern Bantu Peoples

    12%

  • Benin/Togo

    12%

  • Ireland & Scotland

    11%

  • Southern Asia

    6%

Your own DNA-based ethnicity estimate will differ from what you see here. To get your personalized ethnicity estimate, order an AncestryDNA® kit.order an AncestryDNA® kit.

Order a DNA Kit Today

Samuel Family Origin

Where is the Samuel family from?

Mapbox
© Mapbox © OpenStreetMap Improve this map
1840
    1920
    You can see how Samuel families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Samuel family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Samuel families were found in the UK in 1891. In 1840 there were 30 Samuel families living in Virginia. This was about 22% of all the recorded Samuel's in the USA. Virginia had the highest population of Samuel families in 1840.
    Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Samuel surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

    View Census Data for Samuel

    Samuel Family Occupations

    What did your Samuel ancestors do for a living?

    In 1880, the most common Samuel occupation in the USA was Farmer. 36% of Samuel's were Farmers. Farmer, Laborer and Farm Laborer were the top 3 reported jobs worked by Samuel. A less common occupation for the Samuel family was Farming.

    View Census data for Samuel | Data not to scale

    • Farmer

      36%

    • Laborer

      12%

    • Farm Laborer

      5%

    • Farming

      5%

    Census records can tell you a lot of little known facts about your Samuel ancestors, such as occupation. Occupation can tell you about your ancestor's social and economic status.

    Samuel Historical Records

    What Samuel family records will you find?

    Census Record

    There are 147,000 census records available for the last name Samuel. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Samuel census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

    Search 1940's US census records for Samuel

    Passenger List

    There are 44,000 immigration records available for the last name Samuel. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

    View all Samuel immigration records

    Draft Card

    There are 27,000 military records available for the last name Samuel. For the veterans among your Samuel ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

    View all Samuel military records

    You've only scratched the surface of Samuel family history.

    Discover More

    Samuel Life Expectancy

    What is the average Samuel lifespan?

    Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Samuel life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1942, and highest in 2002. The average life expectancy for Samuel in 1942 was 36, and 70 in 2004.

    View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Samuel

    An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Samuel ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

    Famous Samuel Family Ancestors

    Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in your family tree

    Famous ancestors img
    Look up another name