SIMMON

The surname Simmon is of English origin and is derived from the medieval given name Simon, which itself comes from the Hebrew name Shim‘on meaning “he has heard” or “one who hears.” The name was frequently adopted as a baptismal name in Christian societies and subsequently became a hereditary surname.

In early medieval England the surname emerged as a patronymic, signifying “son of Simon.” It is an Anglo‑Saxon construction and is related to the Greek personal name Simōn meaning “flat‑nosed.” The earliest European recording of the name Simon as a personal name is probably that of Simonus, a monk listed in the 1134 Register of St. Benet’s, Holme Abbey, Norfolk. The surname itself first appears in the late 13th century, notably in the 1273 Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire, which record John Simond, and in the 1291 Calendar of Letter Books of the City of London, with a reference to William Simon.

Over many centuries the name has been recorded in a wide variety of spellings across Europe, including Simon, Simeon, Siomon, Schimon, Simeoni, Si, Sias, Simao, Schimann, Ziemen, Simonson, Simonett, Simonetti, Siaspinski, Siaskowski, Ziemke, Ziemecki and many others. In England the form Simon predominated, partly due to its association with the pre‑existing Greek byname “Simon.”

In the United Kingdom and in British‑speaking countries, the surname has survived in its original form and in related variants such as Simmonds, Simmons, Simons, Simonds, Symons and occasionally Sommer. The surname spread beyond Britain, reaching North America during the 19th century and now being most common in the United States, particularly in the South. According to recent census data, the name is the 13,047th most common surname in the country, with the highest concentrations in Tennessee, Virginia, Arkansas, Mississippi and Alabama.

Despite the proliferation of variants, the core meaning of the surname remains traceable to its Hebrew roots, representing a lineage “of those who hear.” The persistence of the name across centuries and continents attests to the resilience of those who bore it and the lasting legacy of a patronymic tradition that began in the farms and monasteries of medieval England.

Typical given names associated with the Simmon surname

Male

• Andrew

Female

• Jenny

Similar and related surnames

Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.

How to communicate the surname Simmon in...

Braille

⠎⠊⠍⠍⠕⠝

Morse

.....--------.

Semaphore

Origin: English

Region of origin: British Isles

Country of origin: England

Religion of origin: Christian

Language of origin: English

Your comments on the Simmon surname