2000
#1,018
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 31,418
First available Census row
Per 100,000 11.65
Uncommon Last name
Snider
An occupational surname for a tailor or one who cuts cloth or other material.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 34,828 Americans carry the last name Snider. That puts it at #1,131 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 10.16 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 9,841 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Snider surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
35K
1 in 9,841
Census rank
#1,131
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
10.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
30K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 30,372 bearers of the surname Snider in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 10.16 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1131st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Snider, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Black (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Snider
The surname Snider has its origins in the German language and is believed to have originated in the region of Bavaria, Germany, during the 13th century. It is derived from the German word "schneider," which means "tailor" or "cutter." This suggests that the name was initially given as an occupational surname to individuals who worked as tailors or in the garment-making trade.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Snider can be traced back to medieval German records and documents. One notable example is a reference to a "Heinrich Snider" in the town of Augsburg, Bavaria, in the year 1296. This historical record provides evidence of the name's use and suggests that it was already established in the region during that time period.
As the name spread throughout Germany and neighboring areas, various spelling variations emerged, including Schneider, Schnyder, and Snyder. These variations reflect the regional dialects and linguistic influences of different regions where the name was adopted.
Snider is also found in some place names, such as Sniderville, a small community in Tennessee, United States, which was likely named after an early settler with the Snider surname.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Snider. One of the earliest recorded examples is Johann Snider (1532-1594), a German composer and organist who served at the court of the Palatinate in Heidelberg. Another prominent figure was Jacob Snider (1784-1848), an American gunsmith and inventor who developed the Snider-Enfield rifle, widely used during the American Civil War.
Other notable individuals with the surname Snider include:
1. John Snider (1816-1901), an American politician and lawyer who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Minnesota.
2. Dee Dee Snider (born 1955), an American singer-songwriter and actor, best known as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Twisted Sister.
3. Samuel Snider (1805-1848), an American pioneer and settler who established the town of Snider's Mill, now known as Miamisburg, Ohio.
4. Zion Snider (1818-1898), an American lawyer and politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Indiana.
5. William Snider (1818-1908), an American businessman and entrepreneur who founded the Snider Preserve Company, a successful canning and preserving business in Cincinnati, Ohio.
The surname Snider has a rich history and has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including musicians, politicians, inventors, and pioneers. Its origins as an occupational surname reflect the importance of the tailoring trade in medieval Germany, and its enduring presence throughout the centuries is a testament to its cultural significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Snider
Among Census respondents with the surname Snider, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Black (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Snider bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Snider surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.1% · 27,070
- Two or more races4.0% · 1,218
- Black or African American2.9% · 887
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 813
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 217
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 167
Timeline
Historical Census data for Snider
Snider appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#1,088
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 32,148
+730 bearers (+2.3%)
Per 100,000 10.90
Rank movement Down 70 places
2020
#1,131
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 30,372
-1,776 bearers (-5.5%)
Per 100,000 10.16
Rank movement Down 43 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,018 | 31,418 | 11.65 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,088 | 32,148 | 10.90 | +730 bearers (+2.3%) | Down 70 places |
| 2020 | #1,131 | 30,372 | 10.16 | -1,776 bearers (-5.5%) | Down 43 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Snider surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,088 | #1,131 | -4.0% |
| Count | 32,148 | 30,372 | -5.5% |
| Per 100K | 10.90 | 10.16 | -6.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Snider bearers went from 32,148 to 30,372 (-5.5% change). The surname moved down 43 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,088 to #1,131.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Snider
FAQ
Snider surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Snider?
Name Census estimates that about 34,828 living Americans carry the surname Snider. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 9,841 residents.
How common is Snider?
Snider ranks #1,131 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 10.16 per 100,000 residents, which is about 10 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 30,372 people with the surname Snider. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (34,828), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 10.16 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 10.16 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 10 of them to have the surname Snider.
Has Snider become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Snider went from 32,148 recorded bearers to 30,372. That is a decrease of 1,776 (-5.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,088 to #1,131.
What does the Census say about the background of Snider?
Among Census respondents with the surname Snider, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Black (2.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Snider in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.1% (27,070 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Snider appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.1%), Two or More Races (4.0%), Black (2.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Snider (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Snider mean?
An occupational surname for a tailor or one who cuts cloth or other material. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Snider (10.16 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Snider?
You can see how many people have the surname Snider on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.