NameCensus.

UK surname

Snape

Referred to a person who manufactured or sold soap.

In the 1881 census there were 2,758 people recorded with the Snape surname, ranking it #1,616 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,703, ranked #1,841, down from #1,616 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Prestbury, Preston and Blackburn. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North East Lincolnshire, Chorley and South Ribble.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Snape is 3,903 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 34.3%.

1881 census count

2,758

Ranked #1,616

Modern count

3,703

2016, ranked #1,841

Peak year

1999

3,903 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Snape had 2,758 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,616 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,703 in 2016, ranked #1,841.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,746 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Snape surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Snape surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Snape 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 1,588 #1,818
1861 historical 1,740 #1,656
1881 historical 2,758 #1,616
1891 historical 2,951 #1,598
1901 historical 3,385 #1,646
1911 historical 3,746 #1,386
1997 modern 3,507 #1,848
1998 modern 3,863 #1,746
1999 modern 3,903 #1,745
2000 modern 3,847 #1,754
2001 modern 3,759 #1,757
2002 modern 3,845 #1,763
2003 modern 3,786 #1,757
2004 modern 3,718 #1,778
2005 modern 3,683 #1,770
2006 modern 3,734 #1,755
2007 modern 3,717 #1,774
2008 modern 3,754 #1,767
2009 modern 3,837 #1,770
2010 modern 3,820 #1,821
2011 modern 3,771 #1,822
2012 modern 3,685 #1,830
2013 modern 3,775 #1,815
2014 modern 3,767 #1,835
2015 modern 3,712 #1,842
2016 modern 3,703 #1,841

Geography

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Where Snapes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Prestbury, Preston, Blackburn, Birmingham Town: Birmingham and Bolton-le-Moors. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North East Lincolnshire, Chorley, South Ribble and Fylde. 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 Prestbury Cheshire
2 Preston Lancashire
3 Blackburn Lancashire
4 Birmingham Town: Birmingham Warwickshire
5 Bolton-le-Moors Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North East Lincolnshire 023 North East Lincolnshire
2 Chorley 014 Chorley
3 Chorley 010 Chorley
4 South Ribble 013 South Ribble
5 Fylde 007 Fylde

Forenames

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First names often paired with Snape

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Snape

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Snape, 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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Snape surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Snape household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Snape 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

Snape is most concentrated in decile 3 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Snape falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Snape is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Snape

The surname Snape originated in England, with the earliest known records dating back to the 11th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word 'snæp', meaning a promontory or a projecting piece of land. The name was likely initially used as a toponymic, referring to someone who lived near or on a promontory.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Snape can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as 'Snape' in the county of Suffolk. This suggests that the name was already established in the region at the time of the Norman Conquest.

In the 13th century, the surname Snape appears in various historical records, including the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1230, where a 'Robertus de Snape' is mentioned. The 'de' prefix indicates that the name was originally a locational surname, referring to a place called Snape.

The name Snape is also associated with several place names in England, such as Snape in Suffolk, Snape in North Yorkshire, and Snape in Lancashire. These place names likely derived from the same Old English word 'snæp', and may have contributed to the spread and adoption of the surname.

Notable individuals with the surname Snape throughout history include:

1. Sir John Snape (c. 1500 - 1563), an English lawyer and politician who served as Lord Chancellor of Ireland during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

2. Andrew Snape (1644 - 1708), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Master of Eton College from 1694 until his death.

3. Edmund Snape (1742 - 1822), an English engraver and draughtsman known for his landscape etchings and illustrations of architectural works.

4. Henry Snape (1768 - 1847), an English mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of planetary motion and the calculation of celestial orbits.

5. Richard Snape (1838 - 1888), an English painter and illustrator who specialized in depicting scenes from rural life and the countryside.

The name Snape has been documented in various historical records across different regions of England, indicating its widespread use and adoption over several centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Snape families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Snape 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. Lancashire leads with 1,486 Snapes recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.65x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 1,486 4.65x
Staffordshire 478 5.26x
Cheshire 186 3.13x
Warwickshire 130 1.91x
Yorkshire 118 0.44x
Derbyshire 102 2.42x
Middlesex 52 0.19x
Worcestershire 27 0.77x
Surrey 24 0.18x
Hampshire 19 0.34x
Leicestershire 16 0.54x
Northamptonshire 16 0.63x
Suffolk 15 0.46x
Glamorgan 13 0.28x
Denbighshire 9 0.88x
Shropshire 9 0.39x
Herefordshire 7 0.63x
Kent 7 0.08x
Nottinghamshire 7 0.19x
Essex 6 0.11x
Somerset 6 0.14x
Durham 5 0.06x
Gloucestershire 4 0.08x
Midlothian 4 0.11x
Cumberland 2 0.09x
Norfolk 2 0.05x
Sussex 2 0.04x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.09x
Devon 1 0.02x
Flintshire 1 0.14x
Isle of Man 1 0.20x
Lanarkshire 1 0.01x
Lincolnshire 1 0.02x
Merionethshire 1 0.20x
Northumberland 1 0.03x
Oxfordshire 1 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Preston in Lancashire leads with 82 Snapes recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.59x.

Place Total Index
Preston 82 9.59x
Blackburn 78 9.17x
Wheelton 63 440.56x
Bollington In 58 109.60x
Birmingham 49 2.16x
Manchester 45 3.13x
Stone 45 38.70x
Over Darwen 42 16.45x
Withnell 40 203.98x
Stoke Upon Trent 37 3.84x
Aston 35 1.87x
Liverpool 34 1.75x
West Derby 34 3.64x
Witton 34 84.56x
Elton 31 28.07x
Little Bolton 29 7.06x
Nether Hallam 29 8.03x
Lancaster 27 14.20x
Leyland 27 48.56x
Trentham 27 34.92x
Wolverhampton 27 3.86x
Ashton Under Lyne 26 3.72x
Barton Upon Irwell 26 10.81x
Great Bolton 26 6.14x
Melbourne 26 90.22x
Habergham Eaves 25 8.56x
Ormskirk 25 40.88x
Westhoughton 24 28.14x
West Bromwich 23 4.42x
Aspull 21 27.94x
Stafford St Mary 20 15.54x
Walton Le Dale 20 23.29x
Wolstanton 20 7.24x
Barlaston 19 250.66x
Clitheroe 19 20.20x
Downholland 18 407.24x
Droylsden 18 17.26x
Macclesfield 18 6.81x
Aighton Bailey 17 110.39x
Oldham 17 1.65x
Pendleton In Salford 17 4.46x
Salford 17 1.81x
Sheffield 17 2.00x
Accrington 16 5.51x
Kirkham 16 37.87x
Livesey 16 28.53x
Caverswall 15 31.74x
Chorley 15 8.36x
Eckington 15 14.64x
Harborne 15 5.15x
Birkenhead 14 2.95x
Coppull 14 82.21x
Everton 14 1.37x
Farington 14 75.27x
Milwich 14 277.78x
Alverstoke 13 6.51x
Bury St Edmunds St Mary 13 21.11x
Wednesfield 13 9.72x
Halsall 12 95.09x
Hulme 12 1.80x
Northampton All Sts 12 13.96x
Padiham 12 15.54x
Walsall Foreign 12 2.56x
Adlington 11 138.19x
Anderton 11 365.45x
Burslem 11 4.22x
Cheetham 11 4.61x
Glossop Dale 11 5.57x
Kings Norton 11 3.49x
Lea Ashton Ingol 11 51.86x
Lytham 11 22.55x
Newcastle Under Lyme 11 6.84x
Pelsall 11 40.70x
Eccleshall 10 29.01x
Gorton 10 3.33x
Handsworth 10 4.46x
Lower Darwen 10 23.84x
Oswaldtwistle 10 8.86x
Lostock 9 124.83x
Skelmersdale 9 16.90x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 212
Elizabeth 122
Sarah 104
Alice 77
Ann 76
Jane 70
Ellen 53
Margaret 41
Hannah 37
Annie 35
Emma 34
Martha 30
Eliza 25
Harriet 23
Emily 18
Maria 17
Ada 14
Anne 14
Esther 14
Louisa 13
Agnes 12
Catherine 11
Charlotte 11
Clara 11
Isabella 11
Edith 10
Fanny 10
Frances 10
Lucy 10
Lydia 10
Amelia 9
Betsy 9
Rachel 9
Margt. 8
Florence 7
Julia 7
Nancy 6
Ruth 6
Agness 5
Bertha 5
Caroline 5
Kate 5
Rose 5
Betty 4
Eliz. 4
Gertrude 4
Helen 4
Leah 4
Marian 4
May 4

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 184
John 172
James 133
Thomas 118
Joseph 73
Henry 68
George 67
Robert 55
Charles 31
Richard 30
Samuel 28
Alfred 27
Edward 18
Arthur 17
Albert 16
Walter 13
Frederick 12
Harry 10
Edwin 8
Benjamin 7
Ernest 7
Fred 7
Herbert 7
Thos. 7
David 6
Alexander 5
Daniel 5
Francis 5
Hugh 5
Mark 5
Peter 5
Reuben 5
Roger 5
Frank 4
Willm. 4
Wm. 4
Isaac 3
Jabez 3
Jas. 3
Moses 3
Stephen 3
Tom 3
Bernard 2
Ed. 2
Lawrence 2
Michael 2
Noah 2
Obadiah 2
Paul 2
Percy 2

FAQ

Snape surname: questions and answers

How common was the Snape surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,758 people were recorded with the Snape surname. That placed it at #1,616 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Snape surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,703 in 2016. That gives Snape a modern rank of #1,841.

What does the Snape surname mean?

Referred to a person who manufactured or sold soap.

What does the Snape map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Snape 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.