2000
#134,037
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Snype
A surname derived from the Old English word for a type of long-billed wading bird.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Snype. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Snype 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Snype in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Snype, the largest self-reported group is Black at 82.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.9%) and White (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Snype
The surname SNYPE originated in England during the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "snip", meaning a small bird or snipe. The name likely referred to someone who was associated with hunting or trapping these small birds.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name SNYPE appears in the Curia Regis Rolls of 1208, which mention a Henry Snype from Lincolnshire. The name also appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, referring to a John Snype.
The SNYPE surname can be traced back to various places in England, including the villages of Snipe in Staffordshire and Snipe in Yorkshire. These place names likely influenced the spelling variations of the surname, including Snype, Snipp, and Snippe.
In the 14th century, a notable bearer of the name was Sir John Snype, a wealthy landowner and knight from Nottinghamshire, who lived from approximately 1320 to 1385. He is recorded in the Calendar of Patent Rolls for his involvement in local affairs and disputes.
During the Tudor period, a prominent figure with the SNYPE surname was William Snype (c. 1490 - 1557), a merchant and alderman of the City of London. He is mentioned in various historical records, including the Proceedings of the Court of Aldermen and the Apprentice Books of the City of London.
Another notable SNYPE was Reverend Thomas Snype (1564 - 1638), a clergyman from Bedfordshire who served as the rector of several parishes in the early 17th century. He is mentioned in the records of the Diocese of Lincoln and the Visitation of Bedfordshire in 1634.
In the 18th century, a prominent bearer of the SNYPE name was Sir Robert Snype (1712 - 1788), a wealthy landowner and Member of Parliament for the borough of Southwark. He is recorded in the Journals of the House of Commons and various historical accounts of the period.
While the SNYPE surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to immigration and migration patterns over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Snype
Among Census respondents with the surname Snype, the largest self-reported group is Black at 82.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.9%) and White (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Snype 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 Snype surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American82.6% · 100
- Hispanic or Latino9.9% · 12
- White4.1% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Snype
Snype 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
-4 bearers (-3.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,216 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+9 bearers (+8.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 5,944 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,037 | 116 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.4%) | Down 13,216 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+8.0%) | Up 5,944 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 Snype 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 | #141,309 | 4.0% |
| Count | 112 | 121 | 8.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Snype bearers went from 112 to 121 (+8.0% change). The surname moved up 5,944 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #141,309.
FAQ
Snype surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Snype?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Snype. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Snype?
Snype ranks #141,309 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 121 people with the surname Snype. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Snype.
Has Snype become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Snype went from 112 recorded bearers to 121. That is an increase of 9 (+8.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #147,253 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Snype?
Among Census respondents with the surname Snype, the largest self-reported group is Black at 82.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.9%) and White (4.1%). 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 Snype in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.6% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Snype appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (82.6%), Hispanic (9.9%), White (4.1%). 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 Snype (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 Snype mean?
A surname derived from the Old English word for a type of long-billed wading bird. 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 Snype (0.04 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 common is the surname Snype?
You can see how many people have the surname Snype on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.