Origin
Simon : English (Lancashire) French Walloon Breton German Dutch Hungarian northern Italian and Jewish (Ashkenazic); Spanish (Simón); Czech and Slovak (mainly Šimon); Slovenian Croatian and Rusyn (from Slovakia) (also Šimon): from the Biblical personal name Hebrew Shim‘on which is probably derived from the Hebrew verb sham‘a ‘to hearken’. In the Vulgate and in many vernacular versions of the Old Testament this is usually rendered Simeon. In the Greek New Testament however the name occurs as Simōn as a result of assimilation to the pre-existing Greek byname Sīmōn (from sīmos ‘snub-nosed’). Both Simon and Simeon were in use as personal names in western Europe from the Middle Ages onward. In Christendom the former was always more popular at least in part because of its associations with the apostle Simon Peter the brother of Andrew. In Britain there was also confusion from an early date with Anglo-Scandinavian forms of Sigmund(r) or Sigmund (see Siegmund) a name whose popularity was reinforced at the Conquest by the Norman form Simund. In North America this surname has also absorbed cognates from other languages e.g. Italian Simone Polish Szymon Albanian Simoni and Assyrian/Chaldean or Arabic Shimun Shamon or Shamoun and also their derivatives (see examples at Simons). See also Shimon.
Amoore : reduced form of Atmore. Compare Simon atte Moure 1296 in Subsidy Rolls (Horsham Sussex).see Amor (1).
Arches : 1: from Arques-la-Bataille in Offranville (Seine-Maritime) which is recorded as (de) Archis in 1024 or possibly in some cases from Pont-de-l'Arche (Eure) recorded as Archas in the 11th century. These place-names derive from Latin arca ‘arch bridge’ (Old French arche northern Norman and Picard Old French arque). Arques in Pas-de-Calais has also been suggested as a possible source of some of the Norman family names but there is no evidence of it being pronounced as Arches the regular form of the surname in England. It is recorded as Arkae in the 7th century and Ariaco in the 9th century and may derive from Celtic *Ariācon ‘territory of a man called Arios’. Arches was sometimes reduced to Arch and the variant form Darches with fused preposition as in Simon Darches alias de Arches 1316-17 in TNA (Bucks) may have been reduced to Darch. 2: possibly a variant of Arch with post-medieval excrescent -s but Arch itself may b a reduced form of the name in (1).
Butfield : reduced form of Butterfield. Compare Simon Butfield 1656 Simon Butterfield 1721 in IGI (Leighton Buzzard Beds); Sarah Butterfield 1740 Martha Butfield 1742 in IGI (Ivinghoe Bucks); David Butterfield 1769 Joseph Butfield 1780 in IGI (Whitehaven Cumb).
Darwall : 1: in Kent perhaps from Darwell (earlier Darvell) in Mountfield (Sussex) recorded as la Derefold in 1320 and denoting a deer fold (Old English dēor + fald). However the time gap between the medieval surname and the modern is too great to be confident of a likely genealogical connection. 2: perhaps from Dorhall (Farm) in Chaddesley Corbett (Worcs). The place is recorded in 1505 as Dorewall and probably denoted a spring where deer or wild animals drank (Old English dēor + Old English wælle). However the lack of medieval forms for either the place-name or the surname makes this explanation doubtful.alternatively a reduced form of the lost surname Derwalshawe. It originated in Grappenhall (Cheshire) and according to Place-Names of Cheshire 2 p. 141 it is attested there and in Chester from 1288 to 1360. The final element is Middle English shawe ‘wood’ so presumably the surname derives from a lost place-name ‘wood at the spring used by wild animals’ or ‘Dēorweald's wood’ depending on whether Derwal- has the same etymology as the place-name in (i) or represents the personal name in (iii).perhaps from the Middle English personal name Derwald Old English Dēorweald (the elements of which denoted either ‘wild animal’ or ‘dear’ + ‘power’). As a surname it appears in Suffolk and Norfolk: Simon Derwall' 1211 in Feet of Fines (Suffolk); Herueus Derwald 1327 1332 in Subsidy Rolls (Norfolk); Herveius Derwald 1379 in Poll Tax (Fring Norfolk). However in Worcs Cheshire and Lancs where Darwall and Darwell are well evidenced from the 16th century no medieval evidence for Derwal(d) has yet been found except perhaps in the locative surname in (ii). 3: see Darvill.
Endall : perhaps a variant with an intrusive -d- of the now extinct name Ennall (see Ennals) which is probably in most cases from the Middle English personal name Ernold (see Arnold). Compare Edward Arnold 1561 Edmund Ennall 1616 James Endell 1708 John Andell 1712 in IGI (Saint Giles Cripplegate London); Edward Arnold 1644 Mary Endall 1673 Simon Arnol 1724 in IGI (Wantage Berks); Joseph Arnold 1707 Mary Endell 1730 in IGI (Ross on Wye Herefs). However these surnames may be coincidental occurrences of different names in the same parish and are no proof that the families were genealogically or onomastically related.
Fitzsimmons : Irish and English: variant of Fitzsimon with post-medieval excrescent -s from Anglo-Norman French fi(t)z ‘son’ (see Fitz) + either of the personal names Simon or Sigmund (see Simon) ‘son of Simon or Sigmund’. The name is also found in the Gaelicized form Mac Síomóin.
Fitzsimon : from Anglo-Norman French fiz ‘son’ (see Fitz) + either of the personal names Simon or Sigmund (see Simon) ‘son of Simon or Sigmund’. In Ireland this name has been gaelicized as Mac Síomóin.
Gordge : from Middle English gorge corge ‘throat’ Old French gorge probably in at least some cases a reduced form of Middle English gorgerer Old French gorg(i)ere an occupational term for a maker of gorgers or gorgets armour for the throat (compare Simon Gorget 1327 in Subsidy Rolls (Cambs)) and possibly also for a maker of cloths or wimples for covering the neck and bosom Middle English gorger.
Hulks : variant of Hulk with post-medieval excrescent -s. The now extinct Hulk may either mean ‘very big man’ (compare Simon Hulkebon 1316 in Patent Rolls) or be from Middle English hulk ‘shed’.
Lipsham : apparently an altered form of Lipscombe; compare Simon Lipscombe 1769 James Lipsham 1792 Mary Lipscomb 1798 in IGI (High Ham Somerset).
Moorcock : from the Middle English personal name Morcok a pet form of More (Mour) or Moris using the hypocoristic suffix -cok. See Moore (2) Morris and compare the equivalent surname using the suffix -kin: Simon Morkyn 1296 in Subsidy Rolls (Ifield Sussex); John Morkyn about 1344 in Berkeley Castle Muniments (Alkingon Gloucs); Willelmus Morkyn 1377 in Poll Tax (Colchester Essex).
Peckover : from Middle English pikken + haver (Old Scandinavian hafri) meaning ‘pick or steal oats’. Compare Pickavance and also Simon Pickebarli 1200 in Curia Regis Rolls (Suffolk) Robertus Pikkebarlyk 1379 in Poll Tax (Swafield Norfolk) ‘pick or steal barley’; John Pyckeble 1327 in Subsidy Rolls (Suffolk) ‘pick or steal corn’.
Peter : English Scottish German Dutch French (Alsace and Lorraine) Czech (Moravian) Slovak Croatian and Slovenian; Hungarian (Péter): from the personal name Peter (Greek Petros from petra ‘rock’). The personal name was popular throughout Christian Europe in the Middle Ages having been bestowed by Christ as a byname on the apostle Simon bar Jonah the brother of Andrew. The name was chosen by Christ for its symbolic significance (John 1:42 Matt. 16:18); Saint Peter is regarded as the founding head of the Christian Church in view of Christ's saying ‘Thou art Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church’. In Christian Germany in the early Middle Ages this was the most frequent personal name of non-ancient Germanic origin until the 14th century. In North America this surname has also absorbed cognates from other languages for example Czech Petr Polish Piotr and Pietr Albanian Pjetri (from the personal name Pjetër definite form Pjetri) and also their derivatives (see examples at Peterson). It has also been adopted as a surname by Ashkenazic Jews.
Shimon : 1: Jewish (Ashkenazic and Israeli): variant of Simon corresponding directly to the Hebrew form Shim‘on of this Biblical name.2: Assyrian/Chaldean: from a variant of the personal name Shëmʿūn ‘Simon’ (see Shamon 1 and Shamoun 2) based on the Old Aramaic form Shim‘ōn (compare 1 above).3: Americanized form of Czech Slovak Slovenian Croatian and Rusyn (from Slovakia) Šimon: from the personal name Šimon Czech and Slovak equivalent of Simon and an old Slovenian and a dialectal Croatian form of this name.
Sima : 1: Czech (Šíma): from a pet form of the personal name Šimon (see Simon).2: Hungarian: from a pet form of the personal name Simon.3: Jewish (from Ukraine): from the Yiddish female name Sime a derivative of Hebrew simcha ‘joy’.4: Germanized form of Czech Slovak Croatian and Slovenian Zima.5: Albanian: from the personal name Simë (definite form Sima) a short form of Simon.6: Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 司馬: (i) from the post name Si-Ma (司馬) in ancient China in charge of the national security and the military. (ii) said to be adopted in place of the surname Niu (牛) by the emperor Si-Ma Rui (司馬睿) known as Emperor Yuan of Jin (276–323 AD) founder of the Eastern Jin dynasty (316–420 AD). (iii) adopted by the other families during the Northern Wei dynasty (386–534 AD).
Simak : Czech and Slovak (Šimák): from a pet form of the personal name Šimon (see Simon). The surname of Slovak origin is also found in Serbia (Vojvodina) where it is also spelled Šimak.
Siman : 1: Slovak and Jewish: from a variant of the personal name Simon.2: Czech (Šiman): from a variant of the personal name Šimon (see Simon). The homonymous Sorbian cognates Šiman and Šyman are found in Germanized forms only (see Schiemann).3: Spanish (mainly Seville): unexplained. This surname is also found in the Philippines.
Simcik : Czech and Slovak (Šimčík): from a pet form of the personal name Šimon an equivalent of Simon.
Simecek : Czech and Slovak (Šimeček): from a pet form of the personal name Šimon an equivalent of Simon.
Simek : Czech Croatian and Slovenian (Šimek): from a pet form of the personal names Šimon (Czech) Šimun (Croatian) Šimen (Slovenian) standard or archaic equivalents of Simon.
Simko : 1: Slovak and Rusyn (from Slovakia Serbia and Croatia) (Šimko): from a pet form of the personal name Šimon an equivalent of Simon.2: Hungarian (Simkó) Rusyn (from Slovakia) and Slovak: from a pet form of the personal name Simon.
Simm : 1: English (northern): variant of Sim.2: German: from a short form of the personal name Simon (see Simon).
Simoncic : Slovenian (Simončič) and Slovak (Šimončič): patronymic from the personal name Simon Slovak Šimon.
Simonic : Slovenian (Simonič) Slovak (Šimonič) and Croatian (Simonić): patronymic from the personal name Simon Slovak Šimon.
Simonovich : 1: Americanized form of Serbian and Croatian Simonović Croatian Šimonović and Slovak Šimonovič: patronymic from the personal name Simon (Slovak and regional Croatian Šimon).2: Jewish (from Belarus and Latvia) Ukrainian (standard transliteration Symonovych) and Belorussian (standard transliteration Symonovich): patronymic from the personal name Simon (Ukrainian and Belorussian Symon).
Simunek : Czech (Šimůnek) and Slovak (Šimunek): from a pet form of the personal name Šimun itself a variant of Šimon an equivalent of Simon.
Suddes : probably a variant of the now extinct name Sudd with post-medieval excrescent -s. Sudd is recorded in Simon Sudde 1301 in Subsidy Rolls (Fremington NR Yorks) but its origin is uncertain. It might be a locative name from Middle English sudde ‘mud bog’ (Old English *sydde) but the expected form in NE England would be sidde. Alternatively Sudd might be from Middle English shudde sudde (Old English scydde) ‘small house hovel’ or ‘shed’ (for animals) ‘pigsty’ (see Shed) but again the expected form in NE England would be sid(de) or shidde. It might be related to the Kent name Sudds via the eastern coastal trade but the origin of this is also obscure.
Symington : Scottish: habitational name from Symington (Lanarkshire) or Symington (Ayrshire). The placenames derive from the personal name Simon + northern Middle English toun ‘town village settlement’. Both places were held in the late 12th century by a certain Simon Loccard or Lockhart from whom they presumably derive their name.
Symon : 1: Scottish (eastern): variant of Simon.2: Czech (rarely Šymon): variant of Simon and Šimon.
Zimmel : 1: Jewish (eastern Ashkenazic): from the Yiddish personal name Ziml a pet form of Simon.2: Austrian German: from a short form of an ancient Germanic personal name formed with Old High German sigu ‘victory’ (Sigismund for instance) or a pet form of Simon (see 1 above).
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Source : DAFN2 : Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, ©2022 by Patrick Hanks and Oxford University Press
FANBI : The Oxford Dictionary if Family Names in Britain and Ireland, ©2016, University of the West of England
FANBI : The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain, ©2021, University of the West of England
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