NameCensus.

UK surname

Snaith

An English surname derived from a place name meaning "smooth valley" or "open area".

In the 1881 census there were 1,271 people recorded with the Snaith surname, ranking it #3,206 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,762, ranked #3,563, down from #3,206 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Darlington and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Northumberland, County Durham and Scarborough.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Snaith is 1,902 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 38.6%.

1881 census count

1,271

Ranked #3,206

Modern count

1,762

2016, ranked #3,563

Peak year

2000

1,902 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Snaith had 1,271 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,206 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,762 in 2016, ranked #3,563.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,844 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Snaith surname distribution map

The map shows where the Snaith surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Snaith surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Snaith over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 769 #3,476
1861 historical 564 #4,667
1881 historical 1,271 #3,206
1891 historical 1,213 #3,540
1901 historical 1,588 #3,252
1911 historical 1,844 #2,677
1997 modern 1,814 #3,308
1998 modern 1,838 #3,394
1999 modern 1,873 #3,365
2000 modern 1,902 #3,301
2001 modern 1,852 #3,314
2002 modern 1,884 #3,329
2003 modern 1,810 #3,378
2004 modern 1,769 #3,452
2005 modern 1,735 #3,477
2006 modern 1,732 #3,494
2007 modern 1,737 #3,516
2008 modern 1,739 #3,535
2009 modern 1,811 #3,486
2010 modern 1,865 #3,473
2011 modern 1,815 #3,510
2012 modern 1,781 #3,515
2013 modern 1,826 #3,488
2014 modern 1,824 #3,514
2015 modern 1,799 #3,522
2016 modern 1,762 #3,563

Geography

Back to top

Where Snaiths are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Darlington, Gateshead, Stranton and Bishop Wearmouth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Northumberland, County Durham and Scarborough. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 Darlington Durham
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Stranton Durham
5 Bishop Wearmouth Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Northumberland 007 Northumberland
2 County Durham 008 County Durham
3 Northumberland 005 Northumberland
4 Scarborough 002 Scarborough
5 County Durham 049 County Durham

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Snaith

These lists show first names that appear often with the Snaith surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Snaith

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Snaith, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Snaith surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Snaith household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Snaith is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Snaith is most concentrated in decile 8 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Snaith falls in decile 4 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Snaith is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Snaith, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Snaith

The surname Snaith is of English origin and can be traced back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from a place name, specifically the village of Snaith in the East Riding of Yorkshire. The name is thought to have evolved from the Old English words "snæd" meaning "meadow" and "hæth" meaning "heath" or "heathland."

In the Domesday Book of 1086, the village of Snaith is recorded as "Snait," indicating the early use and spelling variation of the name. This historical record provides evidence of the surname's antiquity and its connection to the Yorkshire region.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Snaith was John de Snayth, who lived in the 13th century. He was mentioned in the Yorkshire Assize Rolls of 1260. Another early reference can be found in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379, where a Thomas Snayth is listed.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Snaith. One such person was William Snaith (1548-1615), an English clergyman who served as the Bishop of Norwich from 1603 until his death. In the 18th century, Richard Snaith (1722-1806) was a prominent English industrialist and ironmaster who established a successful business in Yorkshire.

Another notable figure was Sir James Snaith (1820-1897), a British civil engineer and architect. He was instrumental in the construction of several notable buildings, including the Albert Memorial in London.

In the field of literature, one cannot overlook the contributions of John Collings Snaith (1876-1936), a British author and playwright. He was best known for his novels set in Yorkshire, capturing the essence of the region's rural life.

Lastly, Sir William Snaith (1886-1962) was a distinguished British diplomat who served as the Ambassador to Turkey from 1933 to 1939 and later as the Ambassador to Greece from 1946 to 1951.

These examples illustrate the long-standing presence of the surname Snaith and its connection to various historical figures and professions over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Snaith families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Snaith surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Durham leads with 581 Snaiths recorded in 1881 and an index of 15.73x.

County Total Index
Durham 581 15.73x
Yorkshire 231 1.88x
Northumberland 204 11.04x
Cumberland 51 4.77x
Lincolnshire 40 2.01x
Lancashire 31 0.21x
Westmorland 21 7.69x
Glamorgan 17 0.79x
Middlesex 17 0.14x
Nottinghamshire 17 1.02x
Leicestershire 16 1.16x
Sussex 12 0.57x
Kent 11 0.26x
Essex 7 0.29x
Derbyshire 5 0.26x
Flintshire 5 1.50x
Norfolk 4 0.21x
Hertfordshire 1 0.12x
Royal Navy 1 0.68x
Surrey 1 0.02x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Gateshead in Durham leads with 56 Snaiths recorded in 1881 and an index of 20.25x.

Place Total Index
Gateshead 56 20.25x
Bishopwearmouth 54 17.03x
Darlington 45 31.55x
Westoe 35 16.71x
Thornaby 28 60.90x
Stranton 22 17.69x
Newcastle On Tyne St 21 21.93x
Skelton In Guisbrough 21 63.08x
Bradford 20 6.71x
Middlesbrough 20 12.48x
Bridekirk 17 199.06x
Evenwood Barony 17 135.35x
West Auckland 17 125.83x
Brandon Byshottles 15 32.41x
Sunderland 15 22.99x
Tunstall 15 81.57x
Kendal 14 28.02x
Framwellgate 13 59.39x
Leicester St Margaret 13 3.87x
St Giles 13 56.37x
Wigton 13 81.10x
Yarm 13 205.70x
Bedlington 12 19.45x
Bishop Auckland 12 24.21x
Holy Trinity 12 4.05x
Stockton On Tees 12 6.74x
Troughend 12 1100.92x
Lanchester 11 162.24x
Low Coniscliffe 11 1571.43x
Beckenham 10 18.05x
Elswick 10 6.78x
Lynesack Softley 10 100.20x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 10 9.06x
Seaton Delaval 10 61.65x
Shildon 10 33.68x
Shincliffe 10 242.72x
Tanfield 10 22.76x
Witton Le Wear 10 95.42x
Cowpen 9 21.15x
Pelton 9 51.19x
Penrith 9 22.78x
Poplar London 9 3.84x
Westgate 9 7.87x
Whickham 9 26.48x
Felton 8 276.82x
Hollington 8 107.38x
Huntington 8 320.00x
Netherwitton 8 879.12x
Norton 8 58.91x
Brauncewell 7 945.95x
East Hartburn 7 457.52x
Edmondsley 7 177.22x
Holystone 7 1346.15x
Kirk Deighton 7 466.67x
Liverpool 7 0.78x
Marske In Guisbrough 7 32.04x
Piercebridge 7 795.45x
Salford 7 1.62x
Swarland 7 1166.67x
Urpeth 7 97.22x
Boldon 6 45.56x
Flaxton 6 384.62x
Iveston 6 35.25x
Lofthouse 6 32.66x
Manchester 6 0.91x
New Bewick 6 576.92x
Ormesby 6 18.14x
Skinningrove 6 79.47x
Spittlegate 6 21.85x
Walthamstow 6 6.80x
Ardwick 5 3.76x
Elsdon 5 581.40x
Hawarden Pentrobin 5 93.99x
Mansfield 5 8.63x
Nottingham St Mary 5 1.15x
Pittington 5 48.12x
Pleasley 5 102.04x
Stokesley 5 65.19x
Throston 5 70.52x
York St Mary 5 9.81x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Snaith surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 100
Elizabeth 61
Sarah 42
Jane 41
Margaret 41
Isabella 30
Ann 25
Hannah 21
Annie 20
Ellen 14
Ada 13
Alice 13
Anne 8
Edith 8
Margt. 8
Eliza 7
Emily 7
Frances 7
Maria 5
Catherine 4
Eleanor 4
Elizth. 4
Margret 4
Martha 4
Rebecca 4
Agnes 3
Caroline 3
Dorothy 3
Emma 3
Florence 3
Grace 3
Louisa 3
Lucy 3
Anna 2
Beatrice 2
Cathrine 2
Charlotte 2
Eliz. 2
Esther 2
Ethel 2
Eva 2
Francis 2
Gertrude 2
Janet 2
Jemima 2
Lizzie 2
Phillis 2
Rachel 2
Rhoda 2
Roseann 2

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Snaith surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 113
Thomas 93
William 75
George 63
Robert 42
Joseph 30
Henry 26
James 21
Charles 10
Francis 10
Arthur 9
Edward 8
Richard 8
Alfred 7
Frederick 7
Ralph 7
Frank 6
Thos. 6
Walter 6
Michael 5
Albert 4
David 4
Herbert 4
Tom 4
Wm. 4
Ernest 3
Geo. 3
Jno. 3
Jonathan 3
Matthew 3
Stephen 3
Willm. 3
Cuthbert 2
Edwin 2
Fred 2
Harry 2
Jonah 2
Luke 2
Nicholas 2
Arther 1
Daur 1
Edmund 1
F.J. 1
Fred. 1
G.F. 1
Geo.Ingle 1
Jn. 1
Johnson 1
Jos. 1
Wm.S. 1

FAQ

Snaith surname: questions and answers

How common was the Snaith surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,271 people were recorded with the Snaith surname. That placed it at #3,206 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Snaith surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,762 in 2016. That gives Snaith a modern rank of #3,563.

What does the Snaith surname mean?

An English surname derived from a place name meaning "smooth valley" or "open area".

What does the Snaith map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Snaith bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.