2000
#3,081
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,788
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.00
Uncommon Last name
Snowden
An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "snow-covered hill."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 12,168 Americans carry the last name Snowden. That puts it at #3,326 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.55 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 28,169 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Snowden 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Snowden with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
12K
1 in 28,169
Census rank
#3,326
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 10,611 bearers of the surname Snowden in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.55 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3326th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Snowden, the largest self-reported group is White at 57.1%. The next largest groups are Black (32.9%) and Two or More Races (5.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Snowden
The surname Snowden is an English locational name derived from the place name Snawedun, recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as a manor in Yorkshire. The name is believed to have originated from the Old English words "snaw" meaning snow and "dun" meaning hill or down, referring to a snow-covered hill or a hill where snow often fell.
The earliest recorded instance of the surname can be traced back to the 13th century, with a record of Thomas de Snawedun in the Assize Rolls of Yorkshire in 1219. Over time, the name underwent various spelling variations, including Snowdon, Snawdon, and Snawdun, before settling on the modern form of Snowden.
One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname was William Snowden, a 16th-century English clergyman who served as the rector of St. Sepulchre's Church in Holborn, London, from 1521 to 1549.
In the 17th century, the Snowden family gained prominence in the American colonies. Richard Snowden (1610-1670), an English-born landowner and merchant, settled in Maryland and became a member of the colonial council. His descendants, including Samuel Snowden (1681-1748) and Randolph Snowden (1718-1790), played influential roles in the colonial government and society.
The 18th century saw the birth of Randolph Snowden (1750-1825), an American Revolutionary War soldier and politician from Virginia. He served in the Continental Army and later became a member of the Virginia House of Delegates.
In the 19th century, James Ross Snowden (1809-1878), an American numismatist and author, made significant contributions to the study of coins and medals. He served as the director of the United States Mint from 1853 to 1861.
Another notable figure was Ralph Snowden (1882-1925), an English professional footballer who played as a forward for several clubs, including Manchester City and Oldham Athletic, in the early 20th century.
Throughout history, the Snowden surname has been associated with various professions, including clergy, politicians, scholars, and athletes, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and achievements of those who bore this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Snowden
Among Census respondents with the surname Snowden, the largest self-reported group is White at 57.1%. The next largest groups are Black (32.9%) and Two or More Races (5.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Snowden 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 Snowden surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White57.1% · 6,063
- Black or African American32.9% · 3,491
- Two or more races5.3% · 563
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 390
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 60
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 44
Timeline
Historical Census data for Snowden
Snowden 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
#3,233
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,171
+383 bearers (+3.6%)
Per 100,000 3.79
Rank movement Down 152 places
2020
#3,326
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,611
-560 bearers (-5.0%)
Per 100,000 3.55
Rank movement Down 93 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,081 | 10,788 | 4.00 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,233 | 11,171 | 3.79 | +383 bearers (+3.6%) | Down 152 places |
| 2020 | #3,326 | 10,611 | 3.55 | -560 bearers (-5.0%) | Down 93 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 Snowden 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 | #3,233 | #3,326 | -2.9% |
| Count | 11,171 | 10,611 | -5.0% |
| Per 100K | 3.79 | 3.55 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Snowden bearers went from 11,171 to 10,611 (-5.0% change). The surname moved down 93 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,233 to #3,326.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Snowden
FAQ
Snowden surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Snowden?
Name Census estimates that about 12,168 living Americans carry the surname Snowden. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 28,169 residents.
How common is Snowden?
Snowden ranks #3,326 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.55 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 10,611 people with the surname Snowden. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (12,168), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.55 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.55 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Snowden.
Has Snowden become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Snowden went from 11,171 recorded bearers to 10,611. That is a decrease of 560 (-5.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,233 to #3,326.
What does the Census say about the background of Snowden?
Among Census respondents with the surname Snowden, the largest self-reported group is White at 57.1%. The next largest groups are Black (32.9%) and Two or More Races (5.3%). 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 Snowden in the 2020 Census, accounting for 57.1% (6,063 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Snowden appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (57.1%), Black (32.9%), Two or More Races (5.3%). 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 Snowden (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 Snowden mean?
An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "snow-covered hill." 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 Snowden (3.55 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 share the surname Snowden?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.