NameCensus.

UK surname

Snee

A surname referring to a sharp-edged cutting tool or knife.

In the 1881 census there were 225 people recorded with the Snee surname, ranking it #11,931 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 577, ranked #8,974, up from #11,931 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolstanton, Gateshead and Newcastle All Saints. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Gateshead, Stoke-on-Trent and Kirklees.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Snee is 644 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 156.4%.

1881 census count

225

Ranked #11,931

Modern count

577

2016, ranked #8,974

Peak year

1999

644 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Snee had 225 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,931 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 577 in 2016, ranked #8,974.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 321 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Snee surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Snee surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Snee 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 158 #14,644
1881 historical 225 #11,931
1891 historical 216 #14,107
1901 historical 306 #11,494
1911 historical 321 #10,902
1997 modern 597 #8,177
1998 modern 628 #8,120
1999 modern 644 #8,021
2000 modern 608 #8,356
2001 modern 597 #8,321
2002 modern 609 #8,368
2003 modern 606 #8,261
2004 modern 597 #8,375
2005 modern 560 #8,679
2006 modern 564 #8,668
2007 modern 580 #8,576
2008 modern 579 #8,636
2009 modern 609 #8,494
2010 modern 628 #8,485
2011 modern 624 #8,425
2012 modern 597 #8,640
2013 modern 603 #8,713
2014 modern 593 #8,884
2015 modern 581 #8,944
2016 modern 577 #8,974

Geography

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Where Snees are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolstanton, Gateshead, Newcastle All Saints, Sheffield and Sculcoates. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Gateshead, Stoke-on-Trent, Kirklees and Central Bedfordshire. 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 Wolstanton Staffordshire
2 Gateshead Durham
3 Newcastle All Saints Northumberland
4 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Sculcoates Yorkshire, East Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Gateshead 021 Gateshead
2 Gateshead 015 Gateshead
3 Stoke-on-Trent 002 Stoke-on-Trent
4 Kirklees 012 Kirklees
5 Central Bedfordshire 024 Central Bedfordshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Snee

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Snee

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

Established but Challenged

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

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, Snee 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

Snee 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

Snee 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 Snee is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Snee

The surname SNEE originates from the Netherlands, where it first emerged in the late 16th century. It is derived from the Dutch word "snee," meaning "a cut" or "a slice." This suggests that the name may have been an occupational surname for a butcher, baker, or someone involved in cutting or slicing.

In the Netherlands, the earliest recorded instance of the surname SNEE appears in the municipal records of Amsterdam in 1597, where a certain Jan Snee is mentioned as a resident of the city. Another early reference is found in the baptismal records of the Dutch Reformed Church in Leiden, where a child named Pieter Snee was baptized in 1612.

The name SNEE can also be traced to the neighboring regions of Germany and Belgium, where similar variations of the name, such as Schnee and Sneit, were found. These variants likely share the same occupational origins as the Dutch form.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname SNEE was Hendrick Snee, a Dutch merchant and explorer who sailed to the East Indies in the early 17th century. He is recorded as having participated in several trading voyages to the Spice Islands on behalf of the Dutch East India Company.

In England, the name SNEE appeared in the late 17th century, likely brought over by Dutch immigrants or through trade connections with the Netherlands. One of the earliest recorded instances is that of John Snee, a merchant from London, who is mentioned in the records of the East India Company in 1682.

Another notable figure with the surname SNEE was Sir Reginald Snee (1711-1786), an English military officer and Member of Parliament. He served in the British Army during the War of the Austrian Succession and the Seven Years' War, rising to the rank of Lieutenant-General.

In the United States, the name SNEE can be traced back to the early 19th century, when Dutch and German immigrants began arriving in significant numbers. One of the earliest recorded instances is that of Peter Snee (1780-1853), a farmer from Pennsylvania who served in the War of 1812.

Other notable individuals with the surname SNEE include Joseph Snee (1793-1865), an Irish-American politician who served as Mayor of Chicago in the 1840s, and Edward Snee (1845-1921), a British-born Australian journalist and newspaper editor who played a significant role in the early days of the Australian labor movement.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Snee families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Snee 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. Yorkshire leads with 114 Snees recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.24x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 114 5.24x
Durham 22 3.37x
Northumberland 18 5.51x
Essex 14 3.23x
Cheshire 10 2.06x
Lancashire 10 0.38x
Kent 9 1.20x
Staffordshire 6 0.81x
Nottinghamshire 5 1.69x
Angus 4 1.97x
Lanarkshire 4 0.56x
Middlesex 3 0.14x
Berkshire 2 1.21x
Surrey 2 0.19x
Hampshire 1 0.22x
Monmouthshire 1 0.63x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leeds in Yorkshire leads with 20 Snees recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.29x.

Place Total Index
Leeds 20 16.29x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 18 92.31x
Gomersal 13 128.08x
Sculcoates 12 34.80x
Gateshead 11 22.50x
Dewsbury 9 40.34x
Kimberworth 9 74.57x
Stockport 9 36.10x
Heckmondwike 7 100.00x
Brightside Bierlow 6 14.06x
Tilbury 6 3529.41x
Wolstanton 6 26.67x
Armley 5 52.14x
Beckenham 5 51.07x
Braintree 5 128.53x
Nottingham St Mary 5 6.53x
Shipley 5 44.29x
York St Crux 5 806.45x
Batley 4 19.35x
Dawdon 4 49.81x
Gorbals 4 95.01x
Liff Benvie 4 12.96x
Roos 4 1000.00x
Bury 3 10.08x
Sutton 3 120.97x
Tadcaster West 3 174.42x
Bishopwearmouth 2 3.57x
Chignal Smealy 2 1333.33x
Deptford St Nicholas 2 33.67x
Rishton 2 65.57x
Spotland 2 6.91x
St Mary 2 137.93x
Tunstall 2 61.54x
Wokefield 2 2000.00x
Burnley 1 4.56x
Camberwell 1 0.71x
Chatham 1 4.85x
Croydon 1 1.68x
Habergham Eaves 1 4.20x
Hammersmith London 1 1.85x
Holgate 1 232.56x
Holy Trinity 1 1.91x
Horton In Bradford 1 2.94x
Hunslet 1 2.95x
Islington London 1 0.47x
Knutsford Nether 1 34.13x
Lancaster 1 6.45x
Lanchester 1 83.33x
Ramsgate 1 8.18x
Selby 1 21.98x
Sheffield 1 1.44x
St Thomas Winchester 1 31.45x
Stebbing 1 119.05x
Trevethin 1 6.68x
West Auckland 1 41.84x
Westminster St James 1 4.43x
Whitworth 1 20.92x
York St Margaret 1 74.07x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 22
Catherine 11
Ann 7
Bridget 7
Margaret 6
Annie 5
Elizabeth 5
Sarah 5
Ellen 4
Hannah 4
Kate 4
Jane 3
Agnes 2
Alice 2
Cathrine 2
Elizth. 2
Emma 2
Margret 2
Rosina 2
Ada 1
Anne 1
Barbara 1
Eliza 1
Isabella 1
Janie 1
Jessie 1
Lydia 1
Martha 1
Matilda 1
Rose 1
Susan 1
Winiford 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Snee surname: questions and answers

How common was the Snee surname in 1881?

In 1881, 225 people were recorded with the Snee surname. That placed it at #11,931 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Snee surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 577 in 2016. That gives Snee a modern rank of #8,974.

What does the Snee surname mean?

A surname referring to a sharp-edged cutting tool or knife.

What does the Snee map show?

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