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

Snow, 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 Snow surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Snow in America

Snow is the 734th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Snow surname appeared 47,528 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 16 people would have the surname Snow.

We can also compare 2010 data for Snow 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 Snow

The surname Snow traces its roots back to England, originating in the late 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "snaw," which means "snow" or "white." The name likely referred to someone with light or white hair, or perhaps someone who lived near a snowy area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1191, where a man named Adam Snaw is mentioned. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 also reference a Robert Snowe from Oxfordshire.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Snowe, Snau, and Snawe, reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation during that time. The Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1296 list a Thomas Snowe, while the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327 mention a William Snowe.

The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the surname Snow. However, it does list several place names that may have influenced the name's development, such as Snowdonia in Wales and Snawedun in Yorkshire.

In the 14th century, the name began to spread across England, with records showing instances in counties like Suffolk, Dorset, and Somerset. One notable individual from this period was John Snowe, a wealthy merchant and alderman from Bristol, who served as the city's mayor in 1361.

As the centuries progressed, the Snow surname continued to appear in various records and historical documents. In the 16th century, a prominent figure was William Snow, a scholar and clergyman who served as the Warden of Merton College, Oxford, from 1535 to 1563.

Another notable bearer of the name was Jeremiah Snow, a 17th-century Puritan minister from Massachusetts who was involved in the Salem Witch Trials. He was born in 1623 and died in 1694.

In the 18th century, John Snow (1813-1858) was a renowned English physician and a pioneer in the field of epidemiology. He is best known for his work in identifying the source of a cholera outbreak in London, which led to significant advancements in public health.

The 19th century saw the emergence of Calvin Snow (1838-1901), an American architect and designer who played a crucial role in the development of the Prairie School architectural style. His works include the Chicago Stock Exchange Building and the Bowling Green Office Building.

In the realm of literature, C.P. Snow (1905-1980), whose full name was Charles Percy Snow, was a prominent English novelist and scientist. He is best known for his "Two Cultures" lecture, which addressed the divide between the sciences and the humanities in academic circles.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Snow

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

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

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

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