Samsas

Samsas refers to people bearing the surname Samsa. The name is best known from literature, most notably as the surname of Gregor Samsa, the protagonist of Franz Kafka’s novella The Metamorphosis, first published in 1915. The surname is relatively uncommon, and its precise geographic or ethnic origins are not clearly documented in standard reference works. In general, Samsa is treated as a literary name rather than a common family name.

In The Metamorphosis, Gregor Samsa’s identity is central to the narrative, with his surname playing a key role in the exploration of his transformation and its impact on family dynamics. Since the novella’s publication, the name Samsa has appeared in literary criticism and adaptations as a reference point for themes such as alienation, autonomy, and the fragility of selfhood. The use of the surname has influenced interpretations of narrative voice and social critique within early 20th‑century modernism.

Outside Kafka’s fiction, Samsa is considered a rare surname in real-world records, and most contemporary references to samsas arise from the literary character rather than from prominent individuals or institutions carrying the name. As a result, the plural form samsas is typically encountered as a cultural or onomastic reference rooted in The Metamorphosis.

See also: Gregor Samsa; The Metamorphosis.