2000
#142,819
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Snack
A surname derived from an occupation or trade related to food or provisions.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 117 Americans carry the last name Snack. That puts it at #154,755 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,929,524 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Snack surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
117
1 in 2,929,524
Census rank
#154,755
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
102
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 102 bearers of the surname Snack in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154755th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Snack, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Snack
The surname Snack has its origins in the Netherlands, dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Dutch word "snakken," which means "to gasp" or "to pant." This could suggest that the name was initially a nickname given to someone with a particular breathing pattern or someone who was known for being out of breath.
The earliest recorded instance of the name Snack can be found in the Dutch baptismal records from the city of Leiden in 1587, where a child named Gerrit Snack was registered. This suggests that the name was already in use as a surname during that time period.
In the 17th century, the Snack family gained prominence in the Netherlands, with several notable members contributing to various fields. One such individual was Jacobus Snack, a renowned Dutch painter who lived from 1620 to 1677. His works can be found in various museums across Europe, including the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.
Another notable figure was Willem Snack, born in 1665, who was a prominent merchant and shipowner in Amsterdam. He played a significant role in the Dutch East India Company's trade operations and helped establish the city's reputation as a major maritime hub.
During the 18th century, the name Snack began to spread beyond the Netherlands. In 1742, a German author named Johann Snack published a book titled "Beschreibung der Reise nach Moskau" (Description of the Journey to Moscow), detailing his travels to Russia.
The 19th century saw the emergence of several individuals with the surname Snack who made their mark in various fields. One such person was Marie Snack, a Belgian writer born in 1832, who was known for her novels and short stories exploring themes of love and relationships.
Another notable figure was Friedrich Snack, a German mathematician and astronomer born in 1838. He made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics and was a member of the prestigious Prussian Academy of Sciences.
As the name Snack continued to spread across Europe, it also found its way to other parts of the world. In the late 19th century, records show a family with the surname Snack residing in the United States, having emigrated from the Netherlands.
While the surname Snack may not be as common as some other Dutch surnames, it has a rich history that spans several centuries and has been carried by individuals who have made their mark in various fields, from art and literature to science and commerce.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Snack
Among Census respondents with the surname Snack, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Snack bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Snack surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.1% · 95
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 4
- Two or more races2.9% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Snack
Snack appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#152,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,809 places
2020
#154,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-5 bearers (-4.7%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 2,127 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #142,819 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #152,628 | 107 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 9,809 places |
| 2020 | #154,755 | 102 | 0.03 | -5 bearers (-4.7%) | Down 2,127 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Snack surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #152,628 | #154,755 | -1.4% |
| Count | 107 | 102 | -4.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -14.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Snack bearers went from 107 to 102 (-4.7% change). The surname moved down 2,127 positions in the national ranking, going from #152,628 to #154,755.
FAQ
Snack surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Snack?
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the surname Snack. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,929,524 residents.
How common is Snack?
Snack ranks #154,755 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 102 people with the surname Snack. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (117), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Snack.
Has Snack become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Snack went from 107 recorded bearers to 102. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #152,628 to #154,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Snack?
Among Census respondents with the surname Snack, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Snack in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.1% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Snack appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.1%), Hispanic (3.9%), Two or More Races (2.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Snack (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Snack mean?
A surname derived from an occupation or trade related to food or provisions. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Snack (0.03 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Snack?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.