2000
#7,159
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,299
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.59
Rare Last name
Snapp
A surname derived from the Old English word "snæpp," meaning a plot of land, or from a nickname for a brisk or active person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,621 Americans carry the last name Snapp. That puts it at #7,902 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.35 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 74,173 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Snapp 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
4.6K
1 in 74,173
Census rank
#7,902
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,030 bearers of the surname Snapp in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.35 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7902nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Snapp, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.5%) and Black (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Snapp
The surname Snapp has its origins in England, tracing back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to be derived from an Old English word "snæp," which means a small piece or snap. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who worked with small pieces of wood or other materials.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Snapp surname can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, where a person named William Snapp is mentioned. This indicates that the name was already in use in the 14th century.
In the 16th century, the Snapp surname appeared in various historical records, such as parish registers and tax records. For example, in 1567, a man named John Snapp was recorded as a resident of the parish of St. Giles in Durham.
The surname Snapp has also been associated with certain place names in England. For instance, there is a village called Snape in Suffolk, which may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname in that region.
One notable individual bearing the Snapp surname was Sir William Snapp (1577-1648), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Oxfordshire. He was a prominent figure in his community and served as a Member of Parliament for the borough of Wallingford.
Another individual of note was Thomas Snapp (1639-1721), who was a Quaker minister and author from Gloucestershire. He wrote several religious texts and traveled extensively to spread the Quaker faith.
In the 18th century, a man named Richard Snapp (1720-1789) gained recognition as a skilled clockmaker in London. His intricate timepieces were highly sought after by the wealthy and aristocratic classes of the time.
Moving into the 19th century, we find Elizabeth Snapp (1822-1898), a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights. She established one of the first schools for girls in the city of Birmingham and campaigned for equal educational opportunities for women.
Finally, in the early 20th century, a British explorer and naturalist named Alfred Snapp (1876-1942) made significant contributions to the study of flora and fauna in the remote regions of Africa and Asia. His detailed accounts and specimen collections were highly valued by the scientific community of his time.
These are just a few examples of individuals who have carried the Snapp surname throughout history, highlighting the diverse backgrounds and accomplishments associated with this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Snapp
Among Census respondents with the surname Snapp, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.5%) and Black (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Snapp 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 Snapp surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.1% · 3,551
- Two or more races4.5% · 180
- Black or African American3.1% · 124
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 105
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.2% · 49
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 21
Timeline
Historical Census data for Snapp
Snapp 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
#7,618
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,360
+61 bearers (+1.4%)
Per 100,000 1.48
Rank movement Down 459 places
2020
#7,902
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,030
-330 bearers (-7.6%)
Per 100,000 1.35
Rank movement Down 284 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,159 | 4,299 | 1.59 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,618 | 4,360 | 1.48 | +61 bearers (+1.4%) | Down 459 places |
| 2020 | #7,902 | 4,030 | 1.35 | -330 bearers (-7.6%) | Down 284 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 Snapp 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 | #7,618 | #7,902 | -3.7% |
| Count | 4,360 | 4,030 | -7.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.48 | 1.35 | -8.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Snapp bearers went from 4,360 to 4,030 (-7.6% change). The surname moved down 284 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,618 to #7,902.
FAQ
Snapp surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Snapp?
Name Census estimates that about 4,621 living Americans carry the surname Snapp. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 74,173 residents.
How common is Snapp?
Snapp ranks #7,902 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.35 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,030 people with the surname Snapp. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,621), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.35 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.35 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Snapp.
Has Snapp become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Snapp went from 4,360 recorded bearers to 4,030. That is a decrease of 330 (-7.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,618 to #7,902.
What does the Census say about the background of Snapp?
Among Census respondents with the surname Snapp, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.5%) and Black (3.1%). 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 Snapp in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.1% (3,551 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Snapp appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.1%), Two or More Races (4.5%), Black (3.1%). 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 Snapp (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 Snapp mean?
A surname derived from the Old English word "snæpp," meaning a plot of land, or from a nickname for a brisk or active person. 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 Snapp (1.35 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 Americans have the surname Snapp?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.