Snell Surname

11,661st
Most Common
surname in the World

Approximately 48,166 people bear this surname

Most prevalent in:
United States
Highest density in:
Norfolk Island

Snell Surname Definition:

This surname is derived from the name of an ancestor. 'the son of Snel.' This name is found in the Hundred Rolls as a single personal name, a strong argument in favour of a fontal origin. If not so, it must be a nickname. 'Snell' meant: sharp, keen or piercing.

Read More About This Surname

Snell Surname Distribution Map

PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
United States28,1111:12,8941,602
England8,3321:6,687965
Australia3,8861:6,9471,019
Canada2,5971:14,1882,087
South Africa2,4581:22,0412,792
New Zealand6811:6,6501,120
Wales3741:8,274920
Sweden2641:37,2982,998
Scotland2121:25,2542,759
Finland2081:26,4263,619
Ireland1461:32,2532,764
Netherlands1201:140,72621,487
Mexico1061:1,171,00214,323
Thailand701:1,009,119153,242
Germany621:1,298,47582,291
Guernsey591:1,092205
Trinidad and Tobago411:33,2683,344
Norfolk Island351:668
France351:1,897,792163,564
Brazil331:6,487,101155,169
Northern Ireland291:63,6224,809
Denmark241:235,19618,480
Jersey241:4,133843
Dominican Republic231:453,60614,824
Singapore171:323,98313,856
Isle of Man171:5,0481,065
Sierra Leone161:443,102516
Spain161:2,922,00263,384
Switzerland141:586,63740,624
India141:54,790,384527,769
Norway111:467,48139,375
Japan111:11,622,20845,659
Hungary101:981,62846,877
Zimbabwe101:1,543,82478,460
Qatar91:262,00030,726
Philippines71:14,462,603238,248
United Arab Emirates51:1,832,45558,414
Nigeria41:44,285,690437,567
Bahrain41:337,1526,054
Malaysia41:7,373,556230,001
Indonesia41:33,062,298643,618
Hong Kong41:1,833,8716,220
Chile31:5,872,15852,204
Kenya31:15,393,30077,493
Italy31:20,385,563143,117
Belgium31:3,832,215117,288
Czechia31:3,544,490144,714
Georgia21:1,872,77235,618
Russia21:72,061,528727,117
Greece21:5,539,895129,142
Puerto Rico21:1,775,0706,602
Poland21:19,004,374199,659
China21:683,660,78330,601
Israel21:4,278,817136,311
South Korea21:25,620,1284,175
Cyprus21:442,4389,493
Afghanistan11:32,153,18360,828
Turkey11:77,821,422191,047
British Virgin Islands11:31,5941,029
United States Virgin Islands11:110,3756,934
Zambia11:15,849,92253,989
Bahamas11:391,7512,737
Azerbaijan11:9,649,12247,873
Austria11:8,515,435118,036
Argentina11:42,743,414282,706
Angola11:26,989,21411,853
Cambodia11:15,487,14614,824
Taiwan11:23,444,74693,622
Cameroon11:20,769,068227,406
Cayman Islands11:63,8932,384
Peru11:31,784,12364,452
Papua New Guinea11:8,153,717181,784
Pakistan11:178,643,885213,220
Nicaragua11:6,021,0908,768
Colombia11:47,774,07244,230
Costa Rica11:4,780,06913,345
Monaco11:37,0664,748
Mauritius11:1,293,41716,552
Ivory Coast11:23,071,23276,679
Honduras11:8,816,4429,272
Guatemala11:16,082,66812,169
Grenada11:108,5351,793
PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
Ireland881:50,3394,237
PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
England5,4331:4,487682
Wales1491:10,526637
Scotland401:93,5804,818
Guernsey311:1,053184
Jersey91:5,7651,004
Isle of Man11:54,2692,077
PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
United States7,2981:6,881871

Snell (202) may also be a first name.

Snell Surname Meaning

From Where Does The Surname Originate? meaning and history

This surname is derived from the name of an ancestor. 'the son of Snel.' This name is found in the Hundred Rolls as a single personal name, a strong argument in favour of a fontal origin. If not so, it must be a nickname. 'Snell' meant: sharp, keen or piercing.

'Teche hem alle to be war and snel' — Halliwell.

As a personal name Snel is found as a compound in such local words as Snelston, Snelland, or Snelsmore.

Snel, Derbyshire, 1273. Hundred Rolls.

William Snell, Oxfordshire, ibid.

Johannes Snell, 1379: Poll Tax of Yorkshire.

Willelmus Snell, 1379: ibid.

Ricardus Snell, 1379: ibid.

A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames (1896) by Charles Wareing Endell Bardsley

An Old English personal name found as Snel, Snel(l), and Sneil, from Old English snell, strong, bold, smart. It is also a very common Scandinavian personal name (Björkrnan I). William Snelle was master of the ship Seinte Marie of Dundee in 1390 (Bain, IV 410). William Snell, presbyter Glasguensis, was a notary public in 1449 (RMP., p. 83), and Schire William Snell, chaplain, was burgess of Prestwick in 1470 (Prestwick, p. 13). John Snell (c. 1629-1679), founder of the Snell scholarships in Oxford for students of Glasgow University, was son of a blacksmith of Colmonell, Ayrshire.

The Surnames of Scotland (1946) by George Fraser Black (1866-1948)

“Active” or “Bold” in Old English.

South African Surnames (1965) by Eric Rosenthal

(English, Scottish) The quick, agile person; descendant of Snell (strong, smart).

Dictionary of American Family Names (1956) by Elsdon Coles Smith

Anglo-Saxon snell, quick, active, bold, brave. Snelling and Snelson are its patronymics. Both were in use before the Conquest.

Patronymica Britannica (1860) by Mark Antony Lower

(Dutch.) Snel, agile, swift nimble.

An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names (1857) by William Arthur

(English), Agile, Hardy. Snelling, Son of Snell.

Surnames (1857) by Bernard Homer Dixon

From the Old Norse, Snjallr; nickname from the German, Schnell, Schnelle, Schneller; in the Domesday Book, Schnelling; from the Dutch, Snel, Snellen; a personal name.

British Family Names: Their Origin and Meaning (1903) by Henry Barber

Snell is a characteristic west of England name, having its home in Devon and Cornwall. John Snell, vicar of Heavitree, and formerly resident canon of Exeter Cathedral, died in 1679, at the age of 70; his son, John Snell, who died at an advanced age in 1717, was three times mayor of Exeter, and represented that city in Parliament (P.). There are Snells still in this city. Oliver Snell was sheriff of Bristol in 1623 (Barrett's "Bristol"). The Cornish Snells are represented in the district of Liskeard. Snel was a name found in Oxfordshire, Derbyshire, and Shropshire in the 13th century (H. R.). There are a few Snells in Suffolk.

Homes of Family Names in Great Britain (1890) by Henry Brougham Guppy

User-submitted Reference

The Snell surname is of Anglo-Saxon and Old English origin. Likely derived from Germanic schnell, meaning 'fast'.

- lime4realz

Snell Last Name Facts

Where Does The Last Name Snell Come From? nationality or country of origin

Snell (Arabic: سنيل, Russian: Снелл) is found in The United States more than any other country/territory. It may also be found as a variant:. Click here for further possible spellings of Snell.

How Common Is The Last Name Snell? popularity and diffusion

It is the 11,661st most numerous surname at a global level, borne by approximately 1 in 151,301 people. This last name is primarily found in The Americas, where 64 percent of Snell are found; 64 percent are found in North America and 64 percent are found in Anglo-North America. Snell is also the 637,340th most frequently used first name in the world. It is borne by 202 people.

The last name Snell is most frequently occurring in The United States, where it is borne by 28,111 people, or 1 in 12,894. In The United States it is most common in: Texas, where 10 percent live, California, where 8 percent live and Florida, where 6 percent live. Besides The United States this surname occurs in 81 countries. It also occurs in England, where 17 percent live and Australia, where 8 percent live.

Snell Family Population Trend historical fluctuation

The frequency of Snell has changed through the years. In The United States the number of people carrying the Snell surname expanded 385 percent between 1880 and 2014; in England it expanded 153 percent between 1881 and 2014; in Wales it expanded 251 percent between 1881 and 2014; in Scotland it expanded 530 percent between 1881 and 2014 and in Ireland it expanded 166 percent between 1901 and 2014.

Snell Last Name Statistics demography

The religious adherence of those bearing the Snell surname is predominantly Anglican (67%) in Ireland.

In The United States those bearing the Snell surname are 15.52% more likely to be registered with the Republican Party than the national average, with 62.29% registered to vote for the political party.

The amount Snell earn in different countries varies notably. In Norway they earn 11.84% more than the national average, earning 387,045 kr per year; in South Africa they earn 7.11% less than the national average, earning R 220,752 per year; in United States they earn 2.83% less than the national average, earning $41,927 USD per year and in Canada they earn 8.19% more than the national average, earning $53,750 CAD per year.

Phonetically Similar Names

SurnameSimilarityWorldwide IncidencePrevalency
Shnell9172/
Snaell918/
Scnell918/
Jsnell911/
Snuell911/
Sneell910/
Snnell910/
Snel895,505/
Schnell8333,869/
Sennell8372/
Sånnell8313/
Sinnell836/
Snäll80471/
Shnel80464/
Sznel80168/
Sneel8034/
Sniel805/
Senll803/
Snael802/
Snehl802/
Scnel802/
Xnell801/
Jnell801/
Snelp801/
Cnell800/
Snill800/
Snelt800/
Schnoell7735/
Schnuell7717/
Schnnell772/
Schnellt770/
Scennell770/
Schniell770/
Snl754/
Schnel73179/
Sennel7310/
Shnuel733/
Schnll732/
Sneelh731/
Cnnell731/
Chnell731/
Shnill730/
Shnellova711/
Schnöll67877/
Gennell67210/
Schnüll67197/
Sinl67177/
Ginnell67158/
Jennell67122/
Zinnell6729/
Šnel678/
Schnesl677/
Snil676/
Snyl674/
Gimnell674/
Schnill673/
Shnl673/
Cnll673/
Cnel672/
Schneel672/
Gemnell672/
Senl672/
Scnl672/
Sennill671/
Cennell671/
Cinnell671/
Schnellová671/
Jnll671/
Zsnl671/
Sznl671/
Snlh671/
Snld671/
Schneld671/
Sönl671/
Schniel671/
Schnellova671/
Snelová671/
Şnel671/
Sinnill670/
Sennuel670/
Chnnell670/
Senniel670/
Jnel670/
Schnael670/
Jinnell670/

Snell Name Transliterations

TransliterationICU LatinPercentage of Incidence
Snell in the Russian language
Снеллsnell-
Snell in the Arabic language
سنيلsnyl-

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Footnotes

  • Surnames are taken as the first part of an person's inherited family name, caste, clan name or in some cases patronymic
  • Descriptions may contain details on the name's etymology, origin, ethnicity and history. They are largely reproduced from 3rd party sources; diligence is advised on accepting their validity - more information
  • Name distribution statistics are generated from a global database of over 4 billion people - more information
  • Heatmap: Dark red means there is a higher occurrence of the name, transitioning to light yellow signifies a progressively lower occurrence. Clicking on selected countries will show mapping at a regional level
  • Rank: Name are ranked by incidence using the ordinal ranking method; the name that occurs the most is assigned a rank of 1; name that occur less frequently receive an incremented rank; if two or more name occur the same number of times they are assigned the same rank and successive rank is incremented by the total preceeding names
  • Ethnic group cannot necessarily be determined by geographic occurrence
  • Similar: Names listed in the "Similar" section are phonetically similar and may not have any relation to Snell
  • To find out more about this surname's family history, lookup records on Family​Search, My​Heritage, FindMyPast and Ancestry. Further information may be obtained by DNA analysis