NameCensus.

UK surname

Snooks

A surname derived from a nickname for a spiteful or peevish person.

In the 1881 census there were 256 people recorded with the Snooks surname, ranking it #10,885 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 430, ranked #11,195, down from #10,885 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include The Vale of Glamorgan, Purbeck and Rushcliffe.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Snooks is 452 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 68.0%.

1881 census count

256

Ranked #10,885

Modern count

430

2016, ranked #11,195

Peak year

2010

452 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Snooks had 256 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,885 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 430 in 2016, ranked #11,195.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 295 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Snooks surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Snooks surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Snooks 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 170 #11,780
1861 historical 177 #13,265
1881 historical 256 #10,885
1891 historical 271 #11,992
1901 historical 295 #11,783
1911 historical 282 #11,915
1997 modern 379 #11,447
1998 modern 401 #11,319
1999 modern 404 #11,361
2000 modern 407 #11,252
2001 modern 392 #11,384
2002 modern 404 #11,353
2003 modern 398 #11,301
2004 modern 401 #11,264
2005 modern 391 #11,378
2006 modern 398 #11,304
2007 modern 388 #11,630
2008 modern 398 #11,525
2009 modern 420 #11,266
2010 modern 452 #10,880
2011 modern 435 #11,066
2012 modern 411 #11,500
2013 modern 434 #11,158
2014 modern 440 #11,107
2015 modern 430 #11,226
2016 modern 430 #11,195

Geography

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Where Snooks' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and St Matthew Bethnal Green. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to The Vale of Glamorgan, Purbeck, Rushcliffe, Rhondda Cynon Taf and Bournemouth. 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 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
3 London parishes London 1
4 London parishes London 3
5 St Matthew Bethnal Green London (East Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 The Vale of Glamorgan 007 Vale of Glamorgan
2 Purbeck 004 Purbeck
3 Rushcliffe 012 Rushcliffe
4 Rhondda Cynon Taf 014 Rhondda Cynon Taf
5 Bournemouth 015 Bournemouth

Forenames

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First names often paired with Snooks

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Snooks

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Snooks, 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 Snooks surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Snooks 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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Snooks is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Snooks 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

Snooks falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Snooks

The surname Snooks has its origins in England, tracing back to the 16th century. It is thought to have derived from the Old English word "snoc," meaning a small promontory or projecting piece of land. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near or on such a landform.

In its earliest recorded instances, the name appeared as "Snoke" in parish records from Gloucestershire and Wiltshire in the 1500s. Over time, the spelling evolved to "Snooks," which became the more prevalent form by the 17th century.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was John Snooks, a landowner mentioned in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1523 in Gloucestershire. Another notable early mention is found in the Pipe Rolls of 1589, which record a William Snooks from Warwickshire.

The Snooks surname can also be traced to places like Snooks Green in Berkshire and Snooks Farm in Hampshire, both of which likely took their names from early inhabitants with the Snooks surname.

Notable individuals with the Snooks surname include:

1. Thomas Snooks (1584-1654), an English clergyman and author from Staffordshire. 2. William Snooks (1670-1741), a merchant and landowner from Dorset, known for his involvement in the local wool trade. 3. Mary Snooks (1725-1798), a renowned Quaker preacher and writer from Gloucestershire. 4. John Snooks (1788-1856), a British naval officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars. 5. Edith Snooks (1857-1923), a prominent suffragette and activist for women's rights in London.

The Snooks surname has a long and interesting history, with its origins rooted in the rural landscapes of England. While not a particularly common name, it has been carried by individuals from various walks of life over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Snooks families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Snooks 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. Middlesex leads with 75 Snooks' recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.93x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 75 2.93x
Yorkshire 24 0.95x
Kent 22 2.52x
Surrey 21 1.69x
Warwickshire 21 3.26x
Hampshire 18 3.44x
Glamorgan 13 2.92x
Gloucestershire 11 2.19x
Cumberland 8 3.64x
Devon 8 1.50x
Somerset 8 1.94x
Staffordshire 7 0.81x
Channel Islands 5 6.60x
Monmouthshire 4 2.17x
Wiltshire 4 1.77x
Essex 3 0.59x
Berkshire 1 0.52x
Derbyshire 1 0.25x
Dorset 1 0.60x
Lancashire 1 0.03x
Leicestershire 1 0.35x
Northamptonshire 1 0.42x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.29x
Oxfordshire 1 0.63x
Sussex 1 0.23x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Aston in Warwickshire leads with 17 Snooks' recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.58x.

Place Total Index
Aston 17 9.58x
Bethnal Green London 13 11.71x
Hammersmith London 12 19.06x
Charlton Next Woolwich 10 110.01x
Kensington London 10 7.04x
Ecclesall Bierlow 9 17.47x
Featherstone 8 281.69x
Lambeth 8 3.59x
St Pancras London 8 3.89x
Kimpton 7 2800.00x
Limehouse London 7 24.95x
Crosscanonby 6 82.42x
Handsworth 6 28.22x
Mile End Old Town 6 14.87x
Bristol St Augustine 5 61.80x
Sidmouth 5 163.93x
St Helier 5 20.28x
St Marylebone London 5 3.66x
Wells St Cuthbert Out 5 151.06x
Battersea 4 4.25x
Birmingham 4 1.86x
Coyty Lower 4 138.41x
Llantrisant 4 35.65x
Llanwonno 4 25.02x
Folkestone 3 17.74x
Fulham London 3 8.10x
Gravesend 3 40.65x
Lower Llanvrechva 3 165.75x
Plymouth St Andrew 3 7.32x
St George In East 3 17.26x
Wortley In Wortley 3 300.00x
Arlecdon 2 34.19x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 2 4.24x
Deptford St Paul 2 2.97x
Millbrook 2 15.16x
Stratton St Margaret 2 57.64x
Wandsworth 2 8.13x
West Ham 2 1.80x
Abingdon St Helen 1 17.83x
Aldershot 1 5.70x
Barnes 1 18.98x
Barnsley 1 3.83x
Bedwellty 1 3.07x
Bicester Market End 1 34.48x
Bristol St George 1 4.31x
Bristol St James St Paul 1 5.98x
Bristol St Paul In 1 7.49x
Camberwell 1 0.61x
Cheam 1 75.19x
Christchurch 1 8.80x
Clanfield 1 416.67x
Clerkenwell London 1 1.66x
Devizes St James 1 33.33x
Dorchester Holy Trinity 1 73.53x
East Tisbury 1 128.21x
Ecclesfield 1 5.39x
Egham 1 13.09x
Grays Thurrock 1 21.32x
Greenwich 1 2.46x
Harborne 1 3.62x
Kingsnorth 1 188.68x
Leicester St Margaret 1 1.45x
Margate St John Baptist 1 6.26x
Newbold Dunston 1 26.32x
North Stoneham 1 84.03x
Norwood 1 17.12x
Paddington London 1 1.06x
Portsmouth 1 8.29x
Quinton 1 909.09x
Roath 1 4.95x
Salesbury 1 625.00x
Shoreditch London 1 0.90x
South Stoneham 1 8.80x
Southwark Christchurch 1 8.35x
St Faith Winchester 1 40.98x
St Gilesin Fields 1 67.11x
Stoke 1 17.01x
Westbury On Trym 1 5.89x
Westminster St 1 10.62x
Worksop 1 9.78x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 18
Elizabeth 10
Ann 9
Sarah 8
Emma 6
Caroline 5
Eliza 5
Alice 4
Kate 3
Rachel 3
Ada 2
Amelia 2
Charlotte 2
Clara 2
Edith 2
Emily 2
Harriet 2
Jane 2
Lucy 2
Maria 2
Rebecca 2
Susan 2
(Mrs) 1
Amy 1
Annie 1
Beatrice 1
Betty 1
Catherine 1
Eleanor 1
Ellen 1
Ethel 1
Fanny 1
Frances 1
Georgine 1
Gwenllyn 1
Hannah 1
Harriott 1
Isabella 1
Julie 1
Laura 1
Letha 1
Livinia 1
Louisa 1
Martha 1
Maryanne 1
Matilda 1
Menia 1
Nellie 1
Offia 1
Roseanna 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 18
William 15
George 14
Edward 12
James 10
Henry 9
Thomas 8
Alfred 7
Charles 5
Samuel 5
Joseph 4
Richard 3
Albert 2
Walter 2
Abraham 1
Alexander 1
Arthur 1
Benjamin 1
Dan 1
David 1
Edwin 1
Frederick 1
H. 1
Hannah 1
Horace 1
Hy. 1
Isaiah 1
Jno. 1
Lewis 1
M. 1
Nimrod 1
P. 1
Peter 1
Sidny 1
Tom. 1
Wm.James 1

FAQ

Snooks surname: questions and answers

How common was the Snooks surname in 1881?

In 1881, 256 people were recorded with the Snooks surname. That placed it at #10,885 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Snooks surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 430 in 2016. That gives Snooks a modern rank of #11,195.

What does the Snooks surname mean?

A surname derived from a nickname for a spiteful or peevish person.

What does the Snooks map show?

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