2000
#7,593
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,038
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.50
Rare Last name
Snelling
Derived from a place name meaning "settlement of Snell's people," referring to an English village associated with a man called Snell.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,462 Americans carry the last name Snelling. That puts it at #8,145 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.30 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 76,816 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Snelling 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Snelling with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.5K
1 in 76,816
Census rank
#8,145
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,891 bearers of the surname Snelling in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.30 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8145th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Snelling, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.9%. The next largest groups are Black (17.4%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Snelling
The surname Snelling originated in England, emerging in the late 12th century. It derives from the Old English word 'snell', meaning swift or active, and refers to an occupation or personal characteristic. The name was initially found in regions like Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex, where it was common among families residing in villages and towns.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Snelling surname appears in the Pipe Rolls of Norfolk from 1199, where a Hugo Snelling is mentioned. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 also contain references to individuals with this name, such as William Snelling from Oxfordshire. These early records provide insight into the name's widespread use during the medieval period.
The Snelling surname can be traced back to places like Snelling in Suffolk, which likely contributed to its origins. Variations in spelling, such as Snellynge and Snellyng, were common in historical documents due to inconsistent record-keeping practices.
Notable individuals with the Snelling surname include Thomas Snelling (1556-1594), an English poet and clergyman known for his religious works. Another prominent figure was William Snelling (1670-1720), an English historian and author who wrote about the history of Essex and Kent.
In the 18th century, Samuel Snelling (1738-1810) was a renowned English engraver and medallist, responsible for designing numerous coins and medals for the Royal Mint. His son, Thomas Snelling (1774-1852), followed in his footsteps as an engraver and numismatist.
The 19th century saw the emergence of John Snelling (1823-1901), a British architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the St. Peter's Hospital and the Saville Row Estate.
Throughout its history, the Snelling surname has been well-represented across various professions and disciplines, reflecting its enduring presence in English society.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Snelling
Among Census respondents with the surname Snelling, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.9%. The next largest groups are Black (17.4%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Snelling 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 Snelling surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White74.9% · 2,913
- Black or African American17.4% · 677
- Two or more races3.4% · 133
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 131
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 28
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Snelling
Snelling 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
#7,859
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,210
+172 bearers (+4.3%)
Per 100,000 1.43
Rank movement Down 266 places
2020
#8,145
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,891
-319 bearers (-7.6%)
Per 100,000 1.30
Rank movement Down 286 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,593 | 4,038 | 1.50 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,859 | 4,210 | 1.43 | +172 bearers (+4.3%) | Down 266 places |
| 2020 | #8,145 | 3,891 | 1.30 | -319 bearers (-7.6%) | Down 286 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 Snelling 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 | #7,859 | #8,145 | -3.6% |
| Count | 4,210 | 3,891 | -7.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.43 | 1.30 | -9.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Snelling bearers went from 4,210 to 3,891 (-7.6% change). The surname moved down 286 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,859 to #8,145.
FAQ
Snelling surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Snelling?
Name Census estimates that about 4,462 living Americans carry the surname Snelling. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 76,816 residents.
How common is Snelling?
Snelling ranks #8,145 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.30 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 3,891 people with the surname Snelling. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,462), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.3 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.30 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 Snelling.
Has Snelling become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Snelling went from 4,210 recorded bearers to 3,891. That is a decrease of 319 (-7.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,859 to #8,145.
What does the Census say about the background of Snelling?
Among Census respondents with the surname Snelling, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.9%. The next largest groups are Black (17.4%) and Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Snelling in the 2020 Census, accounting for 74.9% (2,913 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Snelling appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (74.9%), Black (17.4%), Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Snelling (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 Snelling mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "settlement of Snell's people," referring to an English village associated with a man called Snell. 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 Snelling (1.30 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 share the surname Snelling?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.