Find out how popular the last name Snape is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Snape.

Snape, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Snape surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Snape in America

Snape is the 42163rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Snape surname appeared 515 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Snape.

We can also compare 2010 data for Snape to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Snape

The surname Snape originated in England, with the earliest known records dating back to the 11th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word 'snæp', meaning a promontory or a projecting piece of land. The name was likely initially used as a toponymic, referring to someone who lived near or on a promontory.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Snape can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as 'Snape' in the county of Suffolk. This suggests that the name was already established in the region at the time of the Norman Conquest.

In the 13th century, the surname Snape appears in various historical records, including the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1230, where a 'Robertus de Snape' is mentioned. The 'de' prefix indicates that the name was originally a locational surname, referring to a place called Snape.

The name Snape is also associated with several place names in England, such as Snape in Suffolk, Snape in North Yorkshire, and Snape in Lancashire. These place names likely derived from the same Old English word 'snæp', and may have contributed to the spread and adoption of the surname.

Notable individuals with the surname Snape throughout history include:

1. Sir John Snape (c. 1500 - 1563), an English lawyer and politician who served as Lord Chancellor of Ireland during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

2. Andrew Snape (1644 - 1708), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Master of Eton College from 1694 until his death.

3. Edmund Snape (1742 - 1822), an English engraver and draughtsman known for his landscape etchings and illustrations of architectural works.

4. Henry Snape (1768 - 1847), an English mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of planetary motion and the calculation of celestial orbits.

5. Richard Snape (1838 - 1888), an English painter and illustrator who specialized in depicting scenes from rural life and the countryside.

The name Snape has been documented in various historical records across different regions of England, indicating its widespread use and adoption over several centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Snape

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Snape.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Snape was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Snape has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Snape was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Snape, please contact us.

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