SNIPE
Snipe is a surname of English origin, recorded in the Domesday Book and documented throughout the medieval period in the British Isles.
The name is derived from the Old English word snipe, referring to a small wading bird known for its long, slender beak. In some instances the surname may have arisen as a nickname for a person with physical traits reminiscent of the bird, such as a long, thin nose, or for someone perceived as quick and agile.
Alternative explanations for the surname relate to topography. The bird is commonly associated with marshes and wetlands, so the name could have indicated a dwelling situated near such a habitat. A further layer of origin is provided by Old Norse influences; the word snipa in Old Norse also denotes a wading bird and has been linked to a Viking place name in Yorkshire, Cumberland and Suffolk, originally spelled as “Snaep” or “Snap”. The name’s meaning in this context is “one dwelling by the pasture or meadows”.
Historical records provide evidence for a range of spellings, including Snape, Snipe, Snepp, and Snap. Documented individuals such as John atte Snepe in 1327 in Sussex and Robert de Snape in 1355 in Yorkshire illustrate the surname’s early use. In the 19th century, two brothers, William and Robert Snipe, aged 18 and 16, are recorded in an immigration entry as leaving Liverpool on 20 April 1847 bound for New York.
The earliest known baptismal record for the name appears in Christchurch, Barbados, on 13 April 1678, when Christopher Snipe was recorded. This event occurred during the reign of King Charles XI (known as the Merry Monarch) between 1670 and 1685.
Occupationally, the surname has been associated in some cases with activities such as blacksmithing, masonry and general labour in rural areas during the 16th and 17th centuries. In later periods, a proposed link to hunting or the catching of birds has also been suggested, though this remains an interpretative possibility rather than a definitive fact.
In contemporary times, the surname is most commonly found in the United States. Census data show approximately 7 919 individuals with the surname Snipe, with the greatest concentrations in North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Washington. The name is largely of European descent, with a minority potentially tracing origins outside Europe. Across the British Isles, the surname remains present in pockets of England, and in smaller numbers in Scotland, Ireland, Australia, Canada and New Zealand.
Variations of the name, such as Snipes, Schnipe, Schnipes, Sneep, Sneeps, Snep, Sneps, Snipp, Snipps and Snippe, all stem from the same originally Anglo‑Saxon or Old Norse roots, demonstrating the flexibility of spelling in pre‑modern records.
Typical given names associated with the Snipe surname
Male
- Andrew
- Benjamin
- Daniel
- David
- Gary
- Ian
- James
- John
- Peter
- Robert
- Roy
Female
- Angela
- Christine
- Debra
- Elizabeth
- Florence
- Jayne
- Joanne
- Juliet
- Kate
- Leonora
- Patricia
- Rachel
- Ruth
- Ryah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Snipe in...
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There are approximately 155 people named Snipe in the UK. That makes it one of Britain's least common surnames. Only around two in a million people in Britain are named Snipe.
Surname type: Nickname
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
