Show ContentsSnodgrass History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The first people to use the name Snodgrass were a family of Strathclyde-Britons who lived in the Scottish/English Borderlands. The name comes from when someone lived at the town of Snodgrass in the county of Ayrshire. The name of this place is derived from the Northern Old English words snod, meaning smooth, and grass, meaning grass.

Early Origins of the Snodgrass family

The surname Snodgrass was first found in Ayrshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Inbhir Àir), formerly a county in the southwestern Strathclyde region of Scotland, that today makes up the Council Areas of South, East, and North Ayrshire, where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Snodgrass family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Snodgrass research. Another 95 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1300, 1578, 1686 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Snodgrass History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Snodgrass Spelling Variations

Surnames that evolved in Scotland in the Middle Ages often appear under many spelling variations. These are due to the practice of spelling according to sound in the era before dictionaries had standardized the English language. Snodgrass has appeared as Snodgrass, Snodgers, Snedgrass, Snadgrass and others.

Early Notables of the Snodgrass family

Notable amongst the family at this time was

  • Andrew Snodgrass of Bridgend

Snodgrass Ranking

In the United States, the name Snodgrass is the 2,337th most popular surname with an estimated 12,435 people with that name. 1

Ireland Migration of the Snodgrass family to Ireland

Some of the Snodgrass family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 60 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Snodgrass migration to the United States +

The North American colonies beckoned, with their ample land and opportunity as their freedom from the persecution suffered by so many Clan families back home. Many Scots even fought against England in the American War of Independence to gain this freedom. Recently, clan societies have allowed the ancestors of these brave Scottish settlers to rediscover their familial roots. Among them:

Snodgrass Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Neil Snodgrass, who landed in Virginia in 1785 2
Snodgrass Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • William Snodgrass, who landed in New York, NY in 1812 2
  • Andrew and Mrs. Snodgrass, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1822
  • James Snodgrass, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1838 2
  • James, Robert, Samuel, and William Snodgrass all, who arrived in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1865
  • John Snodgrass, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1856 2

Australia Snodgrass migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Snodgrass Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Hugh Snodgrass, aged 44, who arrived in South Australia in 1849 aboard the ship "Macedon" 3
  • Hugh Snodgrass, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Macedon" in 1849 3

New Zealand Snodgrass migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Snodgrass Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • David Snodgrass, who landed in Auckland, New Zealand in 1843
  • J. Snodgrass, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Mermaid" in 1861 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Snodgrass (post 1700) +

  • Henry Clay Snodgrass (1837-1906), American politician, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Tennessee (1891-1895)
  • Charles Edward Snodgrass (1866-1936), American politician, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Tennessee (1899-1903)
  • Richard Thomas Snodgrass (b. 1955), American computer scientist and writer, currently employed as a professor at the University of Arizona
  • Robert Evans "R.E." Snodgrass (1875-1962), American entomologist and artist
  • William R. Snodgrass (1922-2008), American politician, Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury (1955-1999)
  • William De Witt "W.D." Snodgrass (1926-2009), American poet awarded the 1960 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry
  • Carrie Snodgrass (1946-2004), American Academy Award nominated actress
  • Fred Snodgrass (1887-1974), American Major League Baseball player
  • Mary Ellen Snodgrass (b. 1944), American author
  • David Snodgrass, American Republican politician, Presidential Elector for Tennessee, 2012 5
  • ... (Another 26 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Monongah Mine
  • Mr. F. E. Snodgrass (b. 1862), American coal miner who was in mine 8 at the Monongah mine on 6th December 1907 when it exploded and collapsed; he died 6
  • Mr. George Snodgrass (b. 1878), American coal miner who was in mine 8 at the Monongah mine on 6th December 1907 when it exploded and collapsed; he died 6


Suggested Readings for the name Snodgrass +

  • The Neal, Harbison, Snodgrass, Miller, and Related Families by Thomes Howe R. Neal.
  • Oregon Pioneers of 1852 and 1853: the Snodgrass, Deckard and Moore Families by Willetta Moore Smith.

  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  3. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The MACEDON 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849Macedon.htm
  4. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 5th November 2010). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  5. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 25) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  6. Monongah Mining Disaster retrieved on 8th August 2021. (Retrieved fromhttps://usminedisasters.miningquiz.com/saxsewell/monongah.htm).


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