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

Snead, 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 Snead surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Snead in America

Snead is the 3407th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Snead surname appeared 10,500 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Snead.

We can also compare 2010 data for Snead 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 Snead

The surname Snead is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval era. It is believed to have originated as a locational name, derived from a place called Snead or Sneyd in Shropshire, England. The name itself is thought to be derived from the Old English words "snæd" or "snæde," meaning a small piece of land or a clearing in a forest.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Snead can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Shropshire, a census-like record compiled in 1273. This document mentions a William de Snede, indicating that the name was already in use during the 13th century.

In the 14th century, the Snead surname appeared in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire, where a Richard de Snede was mentioned in 1332. This record suggests that the name had begun to spread beyond its original location in Shropshire.

The Sneyd family of Staffordshire is one of the most prominent historical bearers of this surname. Notable members include Ralph Sneyd (1591-1658), a prominent lawyer and Member of Parliament, and Ralph Sneyd (1677-1750), a politician and landowner who served as High Sheriff of Staffordshire.

Another individual of note is Samuel Sneade Pearce (1766-1851), an English minister and author who wrote several religious works. He was born in Birmingham and spent much of his life as a Baptist minister in various parts of England.

In the United States, one of the earliest recorded instances of the Snead surname is that of John Snead, who was born in Virginia in the late 17th century. His descendants went on to become prominent landowners and political figures in the Southern states.

Another notable American bearer of the Snead surname was Samuel Snead (1912-2002), a professional golfer who is considered one of the greatest players in the history of the sport. He won a record 82 PGA Tour events and was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1976.

Other historical figures with the Snead surname include John Snead (1789-1868), a Virginia politician and judge, and Thomas Laidley Snead (1828-1906), a Confederate officer and lawyer from Virginia who served as a judge after the American Civil War.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Snead

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

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 Snead 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 Snead 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 Snead was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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