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

Snipes, 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 Snipes surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Snipes in America

Snipes is the 4205th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Snipes surname appeared 8,428 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Snipes.

We can also compare 2010 data for Snipes 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 Snipes

The surname Snipes is of Anglo-Saxon origin, deriving from the Old English word "snite," which means "snipe," a type of marsh bird. It is likely that the name was initially given as a nickname to someone who exhibited characteristics or habits reminiscent of the snipe bird.

The earliest recorded use of the name Snipes can be traced back to the late 12th century in Lincolnshire, England. One of the earliest known bearers of this surname was Robert Snipe, who was mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1202.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various medieval records, such as the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, which listed a John Snype in Cambridgeshire. The varied spellings of the name during this period included Snype, Snypp, and Snipis.

During the 14th century, the surname Snipes began to spread across different regions of England. The Placita de Quo Warranto records of 1347 mention a William Snype in Wiltshire, while the Poll Tax returns of 1379 list a John Snype in Yorkshire.

One of the earliest notable figures with the surname Snipes was Sir Thomas Snipe (c. 1510-1590), who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1571. Another historical figure was Thomas Snipes (c. 1580-1650), a English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works.

In the 17th century, the surname Snipes appeared in various parish records across England. One notable bearer was William Snipes (1637-1705), a prominent merchant and landowner in Gloucestershire.

As the name spread across the British Isles and beyond, it took on various spellings, such as Snipe, Snypes, and Snippe. Some notable individuals with this surname include Sir John Snipes (1768-1837), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars, and Charles Snipes (1879-1952), an American baseball player who played for the Philadelphia Phillies and Boston Braves in the early 20th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Snipes

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

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

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

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