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

Snipe, 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 Snipe surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Snipe in America

Snipe is the 32438th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Snipe surname appeared 709 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 Snipe.

We can also compare 2010 data for Snipe 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 Snipe

The surname Snipe has its origins in England, dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be an occupational name, derived from the Old English word "snite," which referred to a type of wading bird known as the snipe. People who were skilled in hunting or trapping these birds may have been given the surname Snipe.

In the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which were records of land holdings and tenants in England, there is a mention of a person named Richard Snype. This is one of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Snipe.

The name Snipe may have also been derived from the Old English word "snipen," meaning "to snipe" or "to shoot." This suggests that the surname could have been given to skilled archers or hunters who were adept at shooting birds.

During the 14th century, the surname Snipe appeared in various forms, such as Snype, Snipe, and Snypere. These variations were likely due to regional dialects and the inconsistencies in spelling during that time period.

One notable person with the surname Snipe was Thomas Snipe (c. 1515-1594), an English clergyman and academic who served as the President of St. John's College, Oxford, from 1576 to 1594.

In the 16th century, the surname Snipe was also found in connection with place names. For example, there was a reference to a person named John Snipe of Snypesgrene (now known as Snape Green) in Norfolk, England, in 1567.

Another individual of note was Sir William Snipe (1590-1663), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Taunton in Somerset during the English Civil War.

The 17th century saw the birth of Samuel Snipe (1639-1699), an English physician and author who wrote several medical treatises, including "Anatomy of a Horse" and "Anatomy of an Horse and Philosophical Essays."

In the 18th century, the surname Snipe was associated with John Snipe (1723-1805), an English engraver and portrait painter who was known for his mezzotint engravings of notable figures of the time.

Lastly, William Snipe (1801-1873) was a prominent English businessman and philanthropist from Yorkshire, who founded the Snipe Charity in 1854 to aid the poor and provide education for underprivileged children.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Snipe

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

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

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

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