NameCensus.

UK surname

Snipe

A surname derived from the bird, possibly denoting someone with a small stature or a hunter of such birds.

In the 1881 census there were 66 people recorded with the Snipe surname, ranking it #24,256 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 117, ranked #28,033, down from #24,256 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Mexborough, Alvechurch and Kings Norton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Pembrokeshire, Birmingham and Solihull.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Snipe is 137 in 2011. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 77.3%.

1881 census count

66

Ranked #24,256

Modern count

117

2016, ranked #28,033

Peak year

2011

137 bearers

Map years

4

1911 to 2016

Key insights

  • Snipe had 66 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #24,256 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 117 in 2016, ranked #28,033.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 101 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Snipe surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Snipe surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Snipe 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 49 #24,448
1861 historical 47 #28,023
1881 historical 66 #24,256
1891 historical 54 #29,849
1901 historical 90 #24,021
1911 historical 101 #22,589
1997 modern 125 #23,567
1998 modern 127 #23,940
1999 modern 125 #24,366
2000 modern 121 #24,824
2001 modern 120 #24,615
2002 modern 120 #25,110
2003 modern 120 #24,909
2004 modern 112 #26,159
2005 modern 108 #26,736
2006 modern 111 #26,565
2007 modern 118 #25,913
2008 modern 122 #25,638
2009 modern 126 #25,686
2010 modern 133 #25,379
2011 modern 137 #24,716
2012 modern 119 #27,100
2013 modern 123 #26,974
2014 modern 121 #27,503
2015 modern 116 #28,151
2016 modern 117 #28,033

Geography

Back to top

Where Snipes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Mexborough, Alvechurch, Kings Norton, Manchester and Birmingham Town: Birmingham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Pembrokeshire, Birmingham and Solihull. 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 Mexborough Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Alvechurch Worcestershire
3 Kings Norton Worcestershire
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Birmingham Town: Birmingham Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Pembrokeshire 001 Pembrokeshire
2 Birmingham 124 Birmingham
3 Birmingham 118 Birmingham
4 Birmingham 125 Birmingham
5 Solihull 021 Solihull

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Snipe

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Snipe

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Snipe surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Snipe household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Snipe 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

Snipe is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Snipe falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Snipe is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Snipe

The surname Snipe has its origins in England, dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be an occupational name, derived from the Old English word "snite," which referred to a type of wading bird known as the snipe. People who were skilled in hunting or trapping these birds may have been given the surname Snipe.

In the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which were records of land holdings and tenants in England, there is a mention of a person named Richard Snype. This is one of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Snipe.

The name Snipe may have also been derived from the Old English word "snipen," meaning "to snipe" or "to shoot." This suggests that the surname could have been given to skilled archers or hunters who were adept at shooting birds.

During the 14th century, the surname Snipe appeared in various forms, such as Snype, Snipe, and Snypere. These variations were likely due to regional dialects and the inconsistencies in spelling during that time period.

One notable person with the surname Snipe was Thomas Snipe (c. 1515-1594), an English clergyman and academic who served as the President of St. John's College, Oxford, from 1576 to 1594.

In the 16th century, the surname Snipe was also found in connection with place names. For example, there was a reference to a person named John Snipe of Snypesgrene (now known as Snape Green) in Norfolk, England, in 1567.

Another individual of note was Sir William Snipe (1590-1663), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Taunton in Somerset during the English Civil War.

The 17th century saw the birth of Samuel Snipe (1639-1699), an English physician and author who wrote several medical treatises, including "Anatomy of a Horse" and "Anatomy of an Horse and Philosophical Essays."

In the 18th century, the surname Snipe was associated with John Snipe (1723-1805), an English engraver and portrait painter who was known for his mezzotint engravings of notable figures of the time.

Lastly, William Snipe (1801-1873) was a prominent English businessman and philanthropist from Yorkshire, who founded the Snipe Charity in 1854 to aid the poor and provide education for underprivileged children.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Snipe families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Snipe 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. Worcestershire leads with 27 Snipes recorded in 1881 and an index of 31.64x.

County Total Index
Worcestershire 27 31.64x
Yorkshire 12 1.85x
Warwickshire 10 6.07x
Lancashire 6 0.77x
Lanarkshire 5 2.37x
Flintshire 1 5.69x
Hampshire 1 0.75x
Herefordshire 1 3.73x
Middlesex 1 0.15x
Royal Navy 1 12.84x
Shropshire 1 1.77x
Suffolk 1 1.26x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Kings Norton in Worcestershire leads with 15 Snipes recorded in 1881 and an index of 196.08x.

Place Total Index
Kings Norton 15 196.08x
Northfield 8 493.83x
Barston 7 10000.00x
Mexborough 6 465.12x
Barony 5 9.35x
Manchester 4 11.47x
Aston 3 6.61x
Alvechurch 2 555.56x
Conisbrough 2 327.87x
Liverpool 2 4.25x
Batley 1 16.26x
Chelsea London 1 5.08x
Doncaster 1 21.14x
Flint 1 100.00x
Great Driffield 1 75.19x
Holy Trinity 1 6.42x
Ipswich St Margaret 1 37.04x
Leominster Out 1 400.00x
Portsea 1 3.81x
Redditch 1 57.80x
Royal Navy 1 15.02x
Wellington 1 31.55x
Whistones 1 161.29x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 4
Ada 2
Ann 2
Elizabeth 2
Ellen 2
Emma 2
Frances 2
Sarah 2
Alice 1
Amelia 1
Annie 1
Clara 1
Effie 1
Eliza 1
F. 1
Fanny 1
Florence 1
George 1
Janet 1
Louisa 1
Lucy 1
Rose 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Snipe households.

FAQ

Snipe surname: questions and answers

How common was the Snipe surname in 1881?

In 1881, 66 people were recorded with the Snipe surname. That placed it at #24,256 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Snipe surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 117 in 2016. That gives Snipe a modern rank of #28,033.

What does the Snipe surname mean?

A surname derived from the bird, possibly denoting someone with a small stature or a hunter of such birds.

What does the Snipe map show?

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