# Simpson (surname)

Source: https://namelineage.com/surname/simpson/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. Counts from the US Census Bureau; origin and etymology from Wiktionary; bearers from Wikidata. Data updated 2026-11-11.

A Scottish and northern English patronymic surname derived from Sim, the short form of Simon.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | not recorded |
| Type | patronymic, formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name |
| People in the US (2010 Census) | 163,181 |
| US rank (2010) | 158 of 162,253 |
| How often | about 1 in every 1,892 people |
| Change since 2000 | +3.1% (158,241 in 2000) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈsɪmp.sən/, 2 syllables |
| Variant spellings | Simson |

## Etymology

From Middle English Sympson, equivalent to Sim, the short form of Simon, + -son.

## Who carries it

Share of people named Simpson in the 2010 US Census by the Census's own race and ethnicity groups. The Census suppresses a share when the count behind it is small.

| Group | Share |
|---|---|
| White (not Hispanic) | 71% |
| Black (not Hispanic) | 23% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.5% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.5% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.8% |
| Two or more races | 2.3% |

## Where

Wikidata records people named Simpson in the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.

## People named Simpson

- Jessica Simpson, American singer and actress
- Wallis Simpson, American socialite and wife of the Duke of Windsor (1896-1986)
- O. J. Simpson, American football player and actor (1947–2024)
- Ashlee Simpson, American singer and actress
- Gaylord Simpson, American paleontologist (1902–1984)
- Cody Simpson, Australian singer
- Jimmi Simpson, American film and television actor
- Jenny Simpson, American middle-distance runner and steeplechaser
- Mona Simpson, American novelist
- Don Simpson, American film producer, screenwriter, actor (1943–1996)
- Mike Simpson, American politician
- Russell Simpson, American actor (1880–1959)

and 30 more on Wikidata.

## Similar surnames

Sampson, Simpkins, Snipes, Shimabukuro.

## How to read these numbers

A Census count is people alive and counted in 2010, not births, and names occurring fewer than 100 times are not published at all. Ethnicity shares are the Census's own categories.