Show ContentsSnatch History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Snatch family

The surname Snatch was first found in Yorkshire where they held a family seat in the West Riding in a village a few miles from Goole. 1

In 1191, Henry Snayth was a Freeman of York. The Saxon influence of English history diminished after the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The language of the courts was French for the next three centuries and the Norman ambience prevailed. But Saxon surnames survived and the family name was first referenced in the year Ithelard Snayth held estates in the year 1250. Later, William de Snayth was listed in the Feet of Fines for Yorkshire in 1338 and Henry Snayth was listed in Cheshire in 1381. 2

The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 list: Ricardus de Snayth; Thomas de Snayth; and Alicia de Snayth. 3

Today Snaith is a market-town and parish, in the union of Goole, chiefly in the Lower division of the wapentake of Osgoldcross. "This place is of considerable antiquity, and at a very early period a priory for Benedictine monks was founded here as a cell to the abbey of Selby, to which establishment the church of Snaith had been given by Girard, Archbishop of York, in the year 1106. The priory flourished till the Dissolution, and was granted by Edward VI. to John, Earl of Warwick." 4

Early History of the Snatch family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Snatch research. Another 114 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1381, 1455, 1487, 1645, 1721, 1751 and 1798 are included under the topic Early Snatch History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Snatch Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Snaith, Snayth, Sneith, Snathe, Sneath and others.

Early Notables of the Snatch family

Another 32 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Snatch Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Snatch family

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: Richard Snathe, who settled in Barbados in 1635; Frances Snaith settled in Boston in 1812.



  1. Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
  2. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  3. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  4. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.


Houseofnames.com on Facebook