*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of Sams

From Sam + -s (plural suffix).

3 source sectionsBrief source recordWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 3 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗
noun

plural of Sam

name

plural of Sam

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Sam + -s (plural suffix).

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "suffix",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "Sam",
        "3": "s<id:regular plural><pos:plural suffix>",
        "nocat": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Sam + -s (plural suffix)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "Sam",
      "Sam#English"
    ],
    [
      "-s",
      "-s#English:_regular_plural"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "plural of Sam"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "form-of",
        "plural"
      ],
      "recordId": "09b64702ac1b67625133a41fa3b5125fa1ebbbd0fe855f72fa93e38c007a5ae4",
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      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 3692704
    },
    {
      "pos": "name",
      "glosses": [
        "plural of Sam"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "form-of",
        "plural"
      ],
      "recordId": "e81c9a5c1214c0d6fed69b950cd3f837d3ce409d0b7b6ede2f7561fbd7962fb8",
      "rawRecordSha256": "1b095dd426b4b1c98f5ea193f7b319932b4524bb789e96abc5297a556c8fb214",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 3692703
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
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    "lexicalRecords": 0,
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  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
name

A diminutive of the female given name Samantha, variant of Sam. · A diminutive of the male given name Samuel, variant of Sam.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Sam + -s (hypocoristic suffix).

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "suffix",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "Sam",
        "3": "s<id:hypocoristic><pos:hypocoristic suffix>"
      },
      "expansion": "Sam + -s (hypocoristic suffix)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "Sam",
      "Sam#English"
    ],
    [
      "-s",
      "-s#English:_hypocoristic"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "name",
      "glosses": [
        "A diminutive of the female given name Samantha, variant of Sam.",
        "A diminutive of the male given name Samuel, variant of Sam."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "cf50b84039d07d19de1e42596de43c0fd42d62ce8a205f799b5d7d3e63db51f6",
      "rawRecordSha256": "dce3ff5a7a53417832e6f526820dbdfebae893432c5e4119b44dacf835ec39fd",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 3692705
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
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  }
}

Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗
name

A surname.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Variant of Sam with genitival or post-medieval excrescent -s.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "wp",
      "args": {
        "1": "+"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "affix",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "-s<id:patronymic>"
      },
      "expansion": "-s"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
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    ],
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    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "name",
      "glosses": [
        "A surname."
      ],
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  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for Sams →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-U2Ftcw