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SIMPSON Family History

Recorded in the spellings of Symson, Simson and Simpson, this is an Anglo-Scottish surname with two distinct possible origins. The first and most generally accepted being a patronymic form of the medieval male name 'Simme', claimed to be a variant of the Greek 'Simon'. This is probably correct, and as such would have been introduced into Britain by the 12th century Crusaders. However it is also possible that 'Simme' was a short form of the pre 7th century Olde English 'Sigmund'. Either way early recordings of the surname include Johannes Symmeson, in the Poll Tax rolls of Yorkshire in 1379, and John Simpson, in the Calverley charters of Yorkshire in 1397...