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Snape was the surname of a family with both Muggle and magical members. In modern times, they resided in a house on Spinner's End. Mr and Mrs Evans and their daughters Petunia and Lily lived nearby.[2] The Snapes were related to the pure-blood Prince family.

Sometime before 1960, pure-blood witch Eileen Prince married Muggle Tobias Snape. They had one child, half-blood wizard Severus Snape. The marriage seemed to be unhappy, as they lived in near-destitution, frequently argued, and were neglectful of their son.[3]

With Severus's death in 1998, the Snape family may have become extinct, as Severus had no siblings and no children of his own.

Family Members[]

Etymology[]

J. K. Rowling has said that she took the surname Snape from an English village[4], probably one in Yorkshire near Hadrian’s Wall. Snape is also an English verb meaning “to be hard upon, rebuke, snub”, derived from the Old Norse sneypa, “to outrage, dishonour, disgrace”. This is quite consistent with Severus Snape's personality and general teaching style.[5]

Appearances[]

Notes and references[]

  1. Severus died in 1998 without marrying nor having children, and his parents' fates are unknown. Aside from that, it's likely that his parents never had any other son or daughter as it's never mentioned if Severus had a brother or a sister.
  2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
  3. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
  4. 2000 Interview
  5. “Snape” entry on Dictionary.com
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