NameCensus.

UK surname

Snare

A trap or snaring device used to catch game.

In the 1881 census there were 247 people recorded with the Snare surname, ranking it #11,173 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 150, ranked #23,724, down from #11,173 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Fordham and St John Hackney. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Swale, East Cambridgeshire and Forest Heath.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Snare is 268 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 39.3%.

1881 census count

247

Ranked #11,173

Modern count

150

2016, ranked #23,724

Peak year

1911

268 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Snare had 247 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,173 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 150 in 2016, ranked #23,724.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 268 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Snare surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Snare surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Snare 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 147 #13,084
1861 historical 129 #17,271
1881 historical 247 #11,173
1891 historical 201 #14,866
1901 historical 234 #13,705
1911 historical 268 #12,332
1997 modern 178 #18,958
1998 modern 186 #18,918
1999 modern 178 #19,592
2000 modern 165 #20,501
2001 modern 158 #20,788
2002 modern 172 #20,108
2003 modern 170 #20,023
2004 modern 172 #20,008
2005 modern 168 #20,227
2006 modern 161 #20,972
2007 modern 160 #21,296
2008 modern 166 #20,966
2009 modern 169 #21,190
2010 modern 170 #21,560
2011 modern 163 #21,983
2012 modern 160 #22,260
2013 modern 161 #22,521
2014 modern 165 #22,356
2015 modern 155 #23,194
2016 modern 150 #23,724

Geography

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Where Snares are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Fordham, St John Hackney, Kirby and Rushbrook. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Swale, East Cambridgeshire, Forest Heath, South Norfolk and Guildford. 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 London parishes London 3
2 Fordham Cambridgeshire
3 St John Hackney London (North Districts)
4 Kirby Essex
5 Rushbrook Suffolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Swale 010 Swale
2 East Cambridgeshire 008 East Cambridgeshire
3 Forest Heath 001 Forest Heath
4 South Norfolk 004 South Norfolk
5 Guildford 007 Guildford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Snare

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Snare

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

Rural Amenity

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Snare is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Snare is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Snare falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Snare 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 Snare, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Snare

The surname Snare has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "snær," which means "string" or "cord," referring to a hunter's trap or snare used for catching small game. This suggests that the name might have been an occupational surname initially given to someone who made or set snares for hunting.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Snare can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1202, where a person named Willelmus le Snare is mentioned. The use of the prefix "le" before the surname indicates that it was likely an occupational name at the time.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Snare, Snayre, and Snarie, reflecting the various spellings and pronunciations that existed during that era. One notable mention is in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in 1275, where a certain John le Snayre is recorded.

The Snare surname is also associated with several place names in England, such as Snare Hill in Somerset and Snarehill in Lincolnshire. These place names may have influenced the surname or vice versa, as it was common for people to adopt surnames based on their place of origin or residence.

Notable historical figures who bore the surname Snare include:

1. John Snare (c. 1580 - 1651), an English clergyman and religious writer from Devon. 2. Thomas Snare (1640 - 1708), an English mathematician and astronomer who made contributions to the study of comets. 3. William Snare (1651 - 1711), a prominent English architect who designed several churches and public buildings in London. 4. Elizabeth Snare (1723 - 1792), a British painter known for her portraits and still-life works. 5. Samuel Snare (1778 - 1845), an English poet and playwright who wrote several popular plays in the early 19th century.

The surname Snare has a rich history rooted in medieval England, with connections to occupations, place names, and notable individuals who left their mark in various fields throughout the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Snare families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Snare 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. Norfolk leads with 61 Snares recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.47x.

County Total Index
Norfolk 61 16.47x
Middlesex 45 1.87x
Essex 41 8.62x
Suffolk 34 11.59x
Yorkshire 13 0.54x
Surrey 11 0.94x
Kent 10 1.22x
Hertfordshire 9 5.42x
Lancashire 9 0.31x
Durham 5 0.70x
Cambridgeshire 4 2.62x
Berkshire 2 1.11x
Shropshire 2 0.96x
Somerset 1 0.26x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Brandon in Norfolk leads with 47 Snares recorded in 1881 and an index of 2361.81x.

Place Total Index
Brandon 47 2361.81x
Hackney London 15 11.11x
Kirby Le Soken 14 2058.82x
Bushey 9 227.85x
Eriswell 9 2500.00x
Bury St Edmunds St Mary 8 145.19x
Rusholme 8 104.85x
South Lynn 8 191.39x
Walton Le Soken 8 707.96x
Woolwich 8 26.34x
Newington 7 7.87x
Ipswich St Helen 6 172.41x
North Duffield 6 1935.48x
St George Hanover 6 19.08x
West Ham 6 5.71x
Mainsforth 5 5555.56x
Westminster St John 5 17.04x
All Saints Cambridge 4 373.83x
Bermondsey 4 5.58x
Edlington 4 3636.36x
Great Oakley 4 526.32x
Mile End New Town 4 121.58x
Wangford 4 727.27x
Brentwood 3 103.45x
Bury St Edmunds St James 3 38.27x
Gasthorpe 3 3750.00x
Islington London 3 1.28x
Monk Soham 3 909.09x
Wanstead 3 36.01x
Dovercourt 2 119.76x
East Harling 2 227.27x
Fulham London 2 5.72x
Hurst 2 84.39x
Kimberworth 2 15.09x
Shoreditch London 2 1.92x
St Botolph Bishopsgate 2 58.65x
St Pancras London 2 1.03x
Wrockwardine 2 43.67x
Bridgewater 1 9.50x
Bromley London 1 1.89x
Deptford St Paul 1 1.58x
Hampstead London 1 2.67x
Hopwood 1 26.74x
Kensington London 1 0.75x
Minster In Sheppey 1 7.34x
Pickering 1 33.22x
Rushbrooke 1 909.09x
Shopland 1 1428.57x
Watton 1 86.21x
Willesden 1 4.40x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 12
Henry 9
James 9
Robert 9
John 8
Arthur 7
Charles 7
Edward 6
George 6
Frederick 4
Albert 3
Ernest 3
Alfred 2
Frank 2
Joseph 2
Robt. 2
Thomas 2
Archd.H. 1
Barney 1
Daniel 1
David 1
Elijah 1
Francis 1
Fred 1
Geo. 1
Geo.Edwd. 1
Herbert 1
Howard 1
Jesse 1
Lenoard 1
Maurice 1
Nathan 1
Richard 1
Robt.F. 1
Robt.M. 1
W. 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Snare surname: questions and answers

How common was the Snare surname in 1881?

In 1881, 247 people were recorded with the Snare surname. That placed it at #11,173 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Snare surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 150 in 2016. That gives Snare a modern rank of #23,724.

What does the Snare surname mean?

A trap or snaring device used to catch game.

What does the Snare map show?

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