2000
#147,095
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Sneve
A surname derived from a Scandinavian personal name meaning "vigorous" or "courageous".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Sneve. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sneve 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
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Sneve in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sneve, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (6.3%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (5.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sneve
The surname SNEVE has its origins in Norway, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old Norse word "snjór," which means "snow." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived in a snowy or mountainous region.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name SNEVE can be found in the Diplomatarium Norvegicum, a collection of medieval Norwegian documents. In a charter dated 1342, a man named Thorstein Sneve is mentioned as a witness to a land transaction.
During the 14th century, the SNEVE surname appears to have been particularly prevalent in the western regions of Norway, such as Hordaland and Rogaland. This may be due to the rugged, snow-capped mountains and fjords that characterize these areas.
In the 16th century, a notable figure named Nils Sneve (c. 1520-1587) gained recognition as a skilled woodcarver and sculptor. His intricate works adorned several churches in the Stavanger region of Norway.
Another prominent individual bearing the SNEVE surname was Ingrid Sneve (1628-1697), a Norwegian landowner and businesswoman. She inherited substantial property holdings from her father and became one of the wealthiest individuals in the Hardanger region during her lifetime.
In the 19th century, a man named Torbjørn Sneve (1812-1891) made a name for himself as a skilled shipbuilder and naval architect. His innovative designs for fishing vessels and cargo ships were widely praised and helped establish Norway as a leading maritime nation.
As Norwegian immigration to North America increased in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the SNEVE surname became more widely dispersed. One notable American of Norwegian descent was Olav Sneve (1886-1964), a journalist and author who wrote extensively about the immigrant experience and the preservation of Norwegian culture in the United States.
Throughout its history, the SNEVE surname has maintained a strong connection to its Norwegian roots, often being associated with individuals from rural, mountainous areas or those involved in traditional occupations such as woodcarving, farming, and seafaring.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sneve
Among Census respondents with the surname Sneve, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (6.3%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (5.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Sneve 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 Sneve surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.1% · 92
- Asian and Pacific Islander6.3% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native5.4% · 6
- Two or more races4.5% · 5
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sneve
Sneve 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
+4 bearers (+3.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,533 places
2020
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
+5 bearers (+4.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,674 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #147,095 | 103 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #152,628 | 107 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.9%) | Down 5,533 places |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.7%) | Up 4,674 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 Sneve 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 | #147,954 | 3.1% |
| Count | 107 | 112 | 4.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sneve bearers went from 107 to 112 (+4.7% change). The surname moved up 4,674 positions in the national ranking, going from #152,628 to #147,954.
FAQ
Sneve surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sneve?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Sneve. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Sneve?
Sneve ranks #147,954 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 112 people with the surname Sneve. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Sneve.
Has Sneve become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sneve went from 107 recorded bearers to 112. That is an increase of 5 (+4.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #152,628 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Sneve?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sneve, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (6.3%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (5.4%). 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 Sneve in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.1% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sneve appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (6.3%), American Indian/Alaska Native (5.4%). 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 Sneve (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 Sneve mean?
A surname derived from a Scandinavian personal name meaning "vigorous" or "courageous". 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 Sneve (0.04 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 common is the surname Sneve?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Sneve on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.