Meaning & History
Snider is a surname with a rich occupational origin, primarily associated with English-, Dutch-, and German-speaking regions. It is a variant of Snyder, deriving from a root meaning "tailor."
The name Snider ultimately traces back to the Old High German word snīdan ("to cut"), via the German Schneider, meaning "tailor." In fact, Snider is an anglicized form of similar Dutch and German names such as Snijder (Dutch for "tailor") and the widespread German-Jewish Schneider.
According to the 2010 United States Census, Snider ranks as the 1088th most common surname in the country, held by over 32,000 individuals, with the majority (92.28%) identifying as White. The name is also recorded in other contexts: "Snider" is the name of an unincorporated community in West Virginia and a historical type of rifle—the Snider-Enfield rifle—named after its inventor, whose surname itself was Snider.
Distribution of Snider is most common in English-speaking countries but remains found as both a native surname and an Americanized form of different European variants. Related names include Sniders, Snyder, Snyders, and the many forms of Schneider across Eastern Europe.
- Meaning: "tailor" (via cutter of cloth)
- Origin: Dutch, English, German
- Type: Occupational surname
- Related frequencies: High in United States (#1088)
- Variants: Snyder, Snijder, Schneider, Snyders
Related Names
Sources: Wiktionary — Snider