2000
#142,819
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Snowton
A locative surname derived from a place name containing the elements "snow" and "ton" (town).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Snowton. That puts it at #154,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,904,698 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Snowton 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
118
1 in 2,904,698
Census rank
#154,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Snowton in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Snowton, the largest self-reported group is Black at 83.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (9.7%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Snowton
The surname SNOWTON is of English origin, and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is believed to have originated from the Old English words "snaw" meaning snow, and "tun" meaning a town or settlement. This suggests that the name may have been derived from a place name referring to a snowy town or village.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name SNOWTON can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire, dated 1327, where a Robert de Snowtoun was listed as a taxpayer. This document provides valuable insight into the early spelling variations of the name.
In the 15th century, the SNOWTON name appeared in various records across England, including the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1466, which mentions a John Snowton. This suggests that the name had spread to different regions of the country by that time.
During the Tudor period, a notable figure bearing the SNOWTON surname was Richard Snowton, a merchant and alderman in the city of London. He was born around 1520 and served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1577.
In the 17th century, the SNOWTON name can be found in parish records from various counties, such as Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. For instance, the baptism of Thomas Snowton was recorded in Ripon, Yorkshire, in 1642.
One of the most prominent individuals with the SNOWTON surname was Sir Walter Snowton, a military officer who served in the English Civil War. Born in 1616 in Nottinghamshire, he fought for the Royalist cause and was knighted by King Charles I in 1644. Sir Walter Snowton played a significant role in several battles during the conflict.
Another notable SNOWTON was Elizabeth Snowton, a poet and writer who lived in the 18th century. Born in 1721 in Oxfordshire, she published a collection of poems titled "The Poetical Musings" in 1758, which received critical acclaim at the time.
In the 19th century, the SNOWTON name was found in various areas of England, including the county of Derbyshire. Records show a William Snowton, born in 1812, who was a prominent figure in the local community and served as a magistrate.
While the SNOWTON surname may not be as common today, it has a rich history and can be traced back to its English origins, with references spanning several centuries and various regions of the country.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Snowton
Among Census respondents with the surname Snowton, the largest self-reported group is Black at 83.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (9.7%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Snowton 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 Snowton surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American83.5% · 86
- Two or more races9.7% · 10
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
- White1.0% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Snowton
Snowton 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
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
+5 bearers (+4.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,434 places
2020
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-9 bearers (-8.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 6,929 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #142,819 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.7%) | Down 4,434 places |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | -9 bearers (-8.0%) | Down 6,929 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 Snowton 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 | #147,253 | #154,182 | -4.7% |
| Count | 112 | 103 | -8.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Snowton bearers went from 112 to 103 (-8.0% change). The surname moved down 6,929 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #154,182.
FAQ
Snowton surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Snowton?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Snowton. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Snowton?
Snowton ranks #154,182 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 103 people with the surname Snowton. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (118), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Snowton.
Has Snowton become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Snowton went from 112 recorded bearers to 103. That is a decrease of 9 (-8.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #147,253 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Snowton?
Among Census respondents with the surname Snowton, the largest self-reported group is Black at 83.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (9.7%) and Hispanic (2.9%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Snowton in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.5% (86 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Snowton appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (83.5%), Two or More Races (9.7%), Hispanic (2.9%). 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 Snowton (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 Snowton mean?
A locative surname derived from a place name containing the elements "snow" and "ton" (town). 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 Snowton (0.03 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 Snowton?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.