Snelson History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Snelson family

The surname Snelson was first found in Cheshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. After the Battle of Hastings in 1066, William, Duke of Normandy, having prevailed over King Harold, granted most of Britain to his many victorious Barons. It was not uncommon to find a Baron, or a Bishop, with 60 or more Lordships scattered throughout the country. These he gave to his sons, nephews and other junior lines of his family and they became known as under-tenants. They adopted the Norman system of surnames which identified the under-tenant with his holdings so as to distinguish him from the senior stem of the family. After many rebellious wars between his Barons, Duke William, commissioned a census of all England to determine in 1086, settling once and for all, who held which land. He called the census the Domesday Book, 1 indicating that those holders registered would hold the land until the end of time. Hence, conjecturally, the surname is descended from the tenant of the lands and village of Snelson, held by Ranulf Mainwaring, a Norman noble, who was recorded in the Domesday Book census of 1086.

Early History of the Snelson family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Snelson research. Another 117 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1476, 1510 and 1600 are included under the topic Early Snelson History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Snelson Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Snelson, Snelston, Snellston, Snellson, Smelson and many more.

Early Notables of the Snelson family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

the Snelson (Snelston) family of Cheshire

Snelson Ranking

In the United States, the name Snelson is the 10,296^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2

Snelson migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Snelson Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Charles Snelson, aged 18, who immigrated to the United States from London, in 1904
Peter D. Snelson, aged 23, who settled in America from England, in 1907
Thomas Snelson, aged 20, who landed in America from Baierly Hill, England, in 1908
John Snelson, aged 33, who settled in America from England, in 1908
Annie Snelson, aged 31, who settled in America from Brierly Hill, England, in 1908
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Snelson migration to Australia +

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

Snelson Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Thomas Snelson, (b. 1787), aged 26, British Convict who was convicted in Staffordshire, England for life for returning from transportation, transported aboard the "Earl Spencer" in May 1813, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he was convicted in 1809 and apppears to have escaped transport to be found at large in England before being convicted in 1812 3

Snelson 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:

Snelson Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Charles Snelson, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Owen Glendowner" in 1864
Mr. Charles Snelson, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Light Brigade" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 26th August 1868 4
Mrs. Snelson, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Light Brigade" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 26th August 1868 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Snelson (post 1700) +

Wallace Eugene " W.E. Pete" Snelson (1923-2014), American businessman, journalist and politician, Texas State Senator from District 25 (1969-1983)
Nicole "Nikki" Snelson, American stage actress
Kenneth Snelson (b. 1927), American contemporary sculptor and photographer
Thomas P. Snelson (b. 1920), American Democratic Party politician, Member of West Virginia State House of Delegates from Randolph County, 1947-50 5
Pete Snelson, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Texas 21st District, 1986 5
Floyd Snelson, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Georgia, 1888 5
George Matthew Snelson (1837-1901), English politician, 1st Mayor of Palmerston North (1877-1879)
Rear Admiral David George Snelson CB, British former Royal Navy officer, Commander United Kingdom Maritime Forces (2002-2004)

Citations +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 8th September 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-spencer
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 25) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html