NameCensus.

UK surname

Snodgrass

An English topographic surname denoting someone who lived near a grassy hill or near the grass-covered village green.

In the 1881 census there were 271 people recorded with the Snodgrass surname, ranking it #10,449 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 327, ranked #13,868, down from #10,449 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Beith, Govan Combination and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Doncaster, Gallowgate North and Bellgrove and Shropshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Snodgrass is 347 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 20.7%.

1881 census count

271

Ranked #10,449

Modern count

327

2016, ranked #13,868

Peak year

2002

347 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Snodgrass had 271 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,449 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 327 in 2016, ranked #13,868.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 280 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Snodgrass surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Snodgrass surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Snodgrass 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 251 #8,761
1861 historical 219 #11,124
1881 historical 271 #10,449
1891 historical 276 #11,810
1901 historical 280 #12,193
1911 historical 119 #20,535
1997 modern 303 #13,433
1998 modern 323 #13,211
1999 modern 339 #12,892
2000 modern 340 #12,824
2001 modern 339 #12,641
2002 modern 347 #12,699
2003 modern 343 #12,607
2004 modern 340 #12,707
2005 modern 327 #13,011
2006 modern 302 #13,863
2007 modern 309 #13,760
2008 modern 317 #13,632
2009 modern 322 #13,741
2010 modern 330 #13,786
2011 modern 324 #13,839
2012 modern 319 #13,898
2013 modern 324 #13,961
2014 modern 332 #13,807
2015 modern 330 #13,774
2016 modern 327 #13,868

Geography

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Where Snodgrass' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Beith, Govan Combination, Edinburgh, Stranraer and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Doncaster, Gallowgate North and Bellgrove, Shropshire and Hambleton. 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 Beith Ayr
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Stranraer Wigtown
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Doncaster 035 Doncaster
2 Gallowgate North and Bellgrove Glasgow City
3 Shropshire 026 Shropshire
4 Hambleton 008 Hambleton
5 Doncaster 031 Doncaster

Forenames

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First names often paired with Snodgrass

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Snodgrass

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Snodgrass, 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 Snodgrass surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Snodgrass 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Snodgrass 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

Snodgrass is most concentrated in decile 1 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Snodgrass falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Snodgrass 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 - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Snodgrass

The surname Snodgrass has its origins in England and Scotland, dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "snod," meaning smooth or sleek, and "græs," meaning grass. This suggests that the name may have originally referred to a person who lived near an area of well-kept or manicured grass.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Cumberland from 1332, which mentions a John de Snodgras. The name also appears in various forms, such as Snodgrasse and Snodgresse, in records from the 14th and 15th centuries in counties like Yorkshire, Northumberland, and Cumbria.

The Snodgrass surname is associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest was William Snodgrass, born around 1440, who was a Scottish clergyman and the first Protestant minister of Ayr after the Reformation. Another prominent figure was Sir John Snodgrass, born in 1620, who was a Scottish soldier and served as the Governor of Blackness Castle.

In the 18th century, James Snodgrass, born in 1763, was a renowned Scottish physician and writer who published works on the theory and practice of medicine. William D. Snodgrass, born in 1926, was an American poet and academic who won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1960 for his collection "Heart's Needle."

Additionally, the name Snodgrass has been linked to several place names in England and Scotland, such as Snodgrass Hill in Northumberland and Snodgrass Farm in Cumbria, further reinforcing its historical ties to these regions.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Snodgrass families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Snodgrass 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. Lanarkshire leads with 64 Snodgrass' recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.49x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 64 7.49x
Lancashire 43 1.37x
Renfrewshire 37 18.06x
Dunbartonshire 30 42.23x
Midlothian 26 7.34x
Ayrshire 18 9.10x
Wigtownshire 12 34.19x
Devon 7 1.27x
Dumfriesshire 4 6.85x
Durham 4 0.51x
Kent 4 0.44x
Lincolnshire 4 0.95x
Aberdeenshire 3 1.23x
Argyllshire 3 4.08x
Somerset 3 0.71x
Surrey 2 0.16x
Cheshire 1 0.17x
Denbighshire 1 1.00x
East Lothian 1 2.86x
Hampshire 1 0.18x
Middlesex 1 0.04x
Royal Navy 1 3.17x
Stirlingshire 1 1.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Govan in Lanarkshire leads with 35 Snodgrass' recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.55x.

Place Total Index
Govan 35 16.55x
Row 22 239.39x
Everton 15 15.00x
Barony 14 6.47x
South Leith 14 35.13x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 11 7.72x
Inchinnan 11 2391.30x
Paisley High Church 9 55.18x
Stranraer 9 280.37x
Glasgow 8 5.27x
Beith 7 118.64x
Eastwood 7 55.47x
Exeter Heavitree 7 170.73x
Toxteth Park 7 6.59x
Cardross 6 70.34x
Kirkdale 6 11.37x
Stewarton 6 153.45x
West Derby 6 6.54x
Rutherglen 5 39.87x
Abbey 4 12.80x
Canonbie 4 161.29x
Deptford St Paul 4 5.75x
Gateshead 4 6.79x
Liverpool 4 2.10x
Paisley Low Church 4 61.63x
Spittlegate 4 68.38x
Largs 3 64.38x
North Meols 3 9.77x
Weston Super Mare 3 27.93x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 2 4.37x
Clapham 2 6.05x
Kilchrenan 2 800.00x
Luss 2 303.03x
Aberdeen Old Machar 1 1.96x
Berwick North 1 40.82x
Cadder 1 15.85x
Chorlton On Medlock 1 2.01x
Dailly 1 49.51x
Eglwysfach 1 98.04x
Falkirk 1 4.38x
Farnworth 1 5.32x
Glassary 1 25.25x
Hampstead London 1 2.43x
Inch 1 29.24x
Inverkip 1 20.70x
Kilmarnock 1 4.25x
Lanark 1 14.53x
Millbrook 1 7.33x
Moreton 1 178.57x
North Leith 1 6.10x
Paisley Middle Church 1 8.38x
Portpatrick 1 84.75x
Stoneykirk 1 39.84x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Margaret 5
Mary 5
Isabella 3
Agness 2
Amanda 2
Eleanor 2
Elizabeth 2
Emily 2
Janet 2
Ada 1
Edith 1
Eugenie 1
Evelina 1
Helen 1
Jane 1
Jenny 1
Jessy 1
Maria 1
Marion 1
Maud 1
Rachel 1
Sarah 1
Susan 1
Winnifred 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Snodgrass surname: questions and answers

How common was the Snodgrass surname in 1881?

In 1881, 271 people were recorded with the Snodgrass surname. That placed it at #10,449 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Snodgrass surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 327 in 2016. That gives Snodgrass a modern rank of #13,868.

What does the Snodgrass surname mean?

An English topographic surname denoting someone who lived near a grassy hill or near the grass-covered village green.

What does the Snodgrass map show?

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