SIMMS
Simms is a surname of English and Hebrew provenance. It is a patronymic name that denotes son of Simon, where the medieval given name Simon is itself derived from the Hebrew Shimon, meaning he has heard.
The name Simms is first documented in England from the early thirteenth century. Early witnesses include Ralph Simme in the 1317 Assize Court Rolls of Kent and John Symme in the 1345 Court Rolls of the Borough of Colchester. A patronymic form appears in Yorkshire, where the ending s indicates the genitive and functions as a reduced form of son of. A notable early example is the spelling Robert Symmes, recorded in the 1379 Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire during the reign of King Richard of Bordeaux.
Variant spellings such as Sims, Simes, Symms and Symes have also been recognised. These forms arose from the medieval short form Sim(me) of the Greek personal name Simon, which had been Latinised in English biblical texts as Shimeon or Simeon in the Old Testament and as Simon in the New Testament.
In the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries, the name appears in a variety of administrative records. An instance of Ellen Simms of Warrington occurs in the 1593 Cheshire Wills Records, and a Christopher Sims of Berkshire appears in the 1594 Oxford University Register. These entries confirm the widespread adoption of the surname across the English countryside during this period.
Starting in the early seventeenth century, the surname Simms established a prominent presence in Ulster. The name is recorded at greater frequency in County Antrim than elsewhere in Ireland, and it also has a notable association with east Donegal. Several bearers of the surname were prominent United Irishmen; for example, Robert and William Simms of Belfast were founding members of the Society of United Irishmen.
Today, the surname Simms remains a recognised family name within the British Isles, reflecting both its English roots and its Hebrew linguistic heritage. Its historical records demonstrate a continuous pattern of use from the medieval era to the present day, underscoring its enduring significance across generations.
Typical given names associated with the Simms surname
Male
- Andrew
- Anthony
- Christopher
- David
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Robert
Female
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Jacqueline
- Julie
- Karen
- Linda
- Margaret
- Mary
- Patricia
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
- Simes
- Sims
- Sim
- Simon
- Simpson
- Simson
- Simis
- Simas
- Sime
- Scime
- Simm
- Simma
- Samas
- Samassa
- Sames
- Samios
- Samis
- Sammas
- Sammays
- Sammes
- Sammis
- Samms
- Samos
- Sams
- Samsa
- Samsi
- Samus
- Samz
- Seames
- Seams
- Seamus
- Seems
- Seims
- Semas
- Semis
- Semiz
- Semmes
- Semos
- Sems
- Semus
- Siemasz
- Siemms
- Siems
- Siim
- Simb
- Simese
- Simgh
- Simme
- Simmes
- Simmie
- Simmis
- Simn
- Simns
- Simoes
- Simos
- Siomos
- Skim
- Skime
- Skimns
- Smaus
- Smees
- Smies
- Smis
- Smus
- Smusz
- Soames
- Soams
- Somas
- Somase
- Somes
- Sommas
- Sommes
- Sommese
- Somms
- Somos
- Somoza
- Soms
- Soomes
- Sumes
- Summas
- Summis
- Summs
- Sums
- Symes
- Symis
- Symm
- Symmes
- Symms
- Symns
- Syms
- Symss
- Szemes
- Szymas
- Ziems
- Zoumas
- Zyms
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Simms in...
Braille
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Morse
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Semaphore
Did you know?
According to a survey carried out by Democracy Club, politicians and candidates with the surname Simms are most likely to say that their favourite biscuit is a Dark chocolate Digestive.
There are approximately 9,870 people named Simms in the UK. That makes it the 944th most common surname in Britain. Around 152 in a million people in Britain are named Simms.
Surname type: From name of parent
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Simms
- Frederick Richard Simms - Engineer and manufacturer (1863 to 1944)
- Kevin Simms - Rugby union player
- Ernie Simms - Football player (1891 to 1971)
- Robert Simms - Australian politician
- Michael Simms - Video game programmer
- John Simms - Northern Irish politician and priest (1854 to 1934)
- Gordon Simms - Football player
- Charlie Simms - Football player (1859 to 1935)
- Neville Simms -
- Royston Simms - Cricketer (1894 to 1978)
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.