2000
#144
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 159,363
First available Census row
Per 100,000 59.08
Common Last name
Snyder
An occupational surname referring to a tailor or one who cuts cloth.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 175,425 Americans carry the last name Snyder. That puts it at #172 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 51.18 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,954 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Snyder 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Snyder with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
175K
1 in 1,954
Census rank
#172
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
51.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
153K
common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 152,979 bearers of the surname Snyder in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 51.18 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 172nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Snyder, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Snyder
The surname Snyder has its origins in the German language, and it can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the German word "Schneider," which means "tailor" or "cutter." The name first emerged in regions of Germany and the Low Countries where textile production and tailoring were common occupations.
In the 14th and 15th centuries, the surname Snyder began to appear in various records and documents across Germany and the Netherlands. One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Liber Censualis, a manuscript from the city of Cologne, Germany, which dates back to 1368 and mentions a certain "Johannes Snyder."
As the name was occupational in origin, many early bearers of the surname were likely tailors or cloth workers. However, over time, the name became hereditary and passed down through generations, even as family members pursued different professions.
One notable historical figure with the surname Snyder was Pieter Jansz Snyder, a Dutch painter who lived from around 1555 to 1597. His works, which included still lifes and portraits, are now part of the collections of several museums in the Netherlands.
Another individual of note was Johann Snyder, a German composer and organist who lived from 1625 to 1676. He was employed as the organist at the St. Thomas Church in Leipzig and is known for his contributions to the development of the German organ tradition.
In the 18th century, a man named Johann Michael Snyder (1719-1790) gained recognition as a prominent German clockmaker. His intricate and highly accurate timepieces were sought after by many wealthy patrons of the era.
As the Snyder surname spread throughout Europe and beyond, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Schneider, Snider, and Shnyder, depending on the regional dialects and languages.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Snyder surname in the United States can be traced back to a German immigrant named Hans Snyder, who arrived in Pennsylvania in the early 1700s. His descendants went on to become prominent figures in various fields, including politics, agriculture, and business.
Throughout history, the Snyder surname has been borne by many notable individuals across different professions and walks of life. While the name may have originated as an occupational descriptor, it has since become a lasting legacy, carrying the rich cultural heritage of its German and Dutch roots.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Snyder
Among Census respondents with the surname Snyder, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Snyder 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 Snyder surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.0% · 139,273
- Two or more races3.2% · 4,937
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 4,573
- Black or African American1.5% · 2,229
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1,157
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 810
Timeline
Historical Census data for Snyder
Snyder 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
#165
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 160,262
+899 bearers (+0.6%)
Per 100,000 54.33
Rank movement Down 21 places
2020
#172
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 152,979
-7,283 bearers (-4.5%)
Per 100,000 51.18
Rank movement Down 7 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #144 | 159,363 | 59.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #165 | 160,262 | 54.33 | +899 bearers (+0.6%) | Down 21 places |
| 2020 | #172 | 152,979 | 51.18 | -7,283 bearers (-4.5%) | Down 7 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 Snyder 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 | #165 | #172 | -4.2% |
| Count | 160,262 | 152,979 | -4.5% |
| Per 100K | 54.33 | 51.18 | -5.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Snyder bearers went from 160,262 to 152,979 (-4.5% change). The surname moved down 7 positions in the national ranking, going from #165 to #172.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Snyder
FAQ
Snyder surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Snyder?
Name Census estimates that about 175,425 living Americans carry the surname Snyder. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,954 residents.
How common is Snyder?
Snyder ranks #172 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 51.18 per 100,000 residents, which is about 51 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 152,979 people with the surname Snyder. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (175,425), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 51.18 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 51.18 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 51 of them to have the surname Snyder.
Has Snyder become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Snyder went from 160,262 recorded bearers to 152,979. That is a decrease of 7,283 (-4.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #165 to #172.
What does the Census say about the background of Snyder?
Among Census respondents with the surname Snyder, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Snyder in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.0% (139,273 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Snyder appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.0%), Two or More Races (3.2%), Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Snyder (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 Snyder mean?
An occupational surname referring to a tailor or one who cuts cloth. 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 Snyder (51.18 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 have the last name Snyder?
Find out how common the surname Snyder is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.