NameCensus.

UK surname

Mcskimming

A Scottish surname derived from the occupation of skimming milk in a dairy.

In the 1881 census there were 166 people recorded with the Mcskimming surname, ranking it #14,496 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 499, ranked #9,997, up from #14,496 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Dundonald, Govan Combination and Muirkirk. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Galston, Renfrew South and Johnstone North West.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mcskimming is 500 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 200.6%.

1881 census count

166

Ranked #14,496

Modern count

499

2016, ranked #9,997

Peak year

2010

500 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mcskimming had 166 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,496 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 499 in 2016, ranked #9,997.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 307 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Mcskimming surname distribution map

The map shows where the Mcskimming surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Mcskimming surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mcskimming over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 122 #14,966
1861 historical 131 #17,052
1881 historical 166 #14,496
1891 historical 242 #13,048
1901 historical 307 #11,472
1911 historical 21 #31,179
1997 modern 425 #10,510
1998 modern 443 #10,526
1999 modern 444 #10,555
2000 modern 441 #10,611
2001 modern 438 #10,462
2002 modern 451 #10,429
2003 modern 439 #10,487
2004 modern 450 #10,321
2005 modern 445 #10,295
2006 modern 441 #10,411
2007 modern 446 #10,409
2008 modern 462 #10,223
2009 modern 490 #10,019
2010 modern 500 #10,059
2011 modern 480 #10,267
2012 modern 485 #10,089
2013 modern 491 #10,158
2014 modern 495 #10,145
2015 modern 490 #10,149
2016 modern 499 #9,997

Geography

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Where Mcskimmings are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Dundonald, Govan Combination, Muirkirk, Glasgow and Lesmahagow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Galston, Renfrew South, Johnstone North West, Burnbank North and Kirkmuirhill and Blackwood. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Dundonald Ayr
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Muirkirk Ayr
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Lesmahagow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Galston East Ayrshire
2 Renfrew South Renfrewshire
3 Johnstone North West Renfrewshire
4 Burnbank North South Lanarkshire
5 Kirkmuirhill and Blackwood South Lanarkshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mcskimming

These lists show first names that appear often with the Mcskimming surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mcskimming

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Mcskimming, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Legacy Communities

Group

Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities

Nationally, the Mcskimming surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Mcskimming household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Households in these areas often include divorced or separated parents and commonly include children and young adults. The age structure is heavily skewed towards the most advanced age groups. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are not present in large numbers. Flats predominate, with some terraced, semi-detached, and detached units. Multiple car ownership is low, and housing is predominantly in the private and social rented sectors. Employment is less skewed towards traditional routine industrial occupations. Levels of educational attainment are generally low. The Group occurs principally in the Central Lowlands of Scotland and other Scottish towns.

Wider pattern

These neighbourhoods characteristically comprise pockets of flats that are scattered across the UK, particularly in towns that retain or have legacies of heavy industry or are in more remote seaside locations. Employed residents of these neighbourhoods work mainly in low-skilled occupations. Residents typically have limited educational qualifications. Unemployment is above average. Some residents live in overcrowded housing within the social rented sector and experience long-term disability. All adult age groups are represented, although there is an overall age bias towards elderly people in general and the very old in particular. Individuals identifying as belonging to ethnic minorities or Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups are uncommon.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Mcskimming is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

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Group profile

These predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Mcskimming is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Mcskimming falls in decile 2 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Mcskimming is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Mcskimming, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Mcskimming

The surname McSkimming is of Scottish origin, arising in the 13th century. It is derived from the Gaelic words "mac" meaning "son of" and "sgimmeir" meaning "to skim or peel." This suggests the name may have originally referred to someone who worked as a skinner or leather tanner.

The McSkimmings were primarily found in Ayrshire and the surrounding areas of western Scotland. One of the earliest known records of the name dates back to 1296 when Dungal McSkymyn rendered homage to King Edward I of England. The name appeared with various spellings such as McSkymyn, McSkymyne, and McSkimmyne in old charters and records.

In the 16th century, the McSkimmings were noted as landowners in the parish of Beith, Ayrshire. A notable figure from this era was John McSkimming, who was appointed as the Sheriff of Ayr in 1547. His descendants continued to hold lands in Ayrshire for generations.

The McSkimming name can also be found in the historic records of Galloway in southwestern Scotland. In 1684, Robert McSkimming was recorded as a landowner in the parish of Kirkinner, Wigtownshire. This branch of the family likely migrated from Ayrshire to the surrounding regions.

One of the most prominent individuals bearing the McSkimming surname was Sir Walter McSkimming (1770-1847), a Scottish lawyer and judge. He served as Lord Advocate of Scotland and later as a judge on the Court of Session, taking the judicial title Lord Skimmiliedge.

Other notable McSkimmings include:

1. William McSkimming (1809-1889), a Scottish-born journalist and newspaper editor in Canada. 2. Thomas McSkimming (1812-1897), a Scottish-born merchant and politician in New Zealand. 3. James McSkimming (1853-1912), a Scottish-born engineer and inventor in the United States. 4. John McSkimming (1870-1944), a Scottish-born artist and painter known for his landscape works. 5. Robert McSkimming (1909-1980), a Scottish-born architect and designer in Australia.

While the McSkimming name has its roots in Scotland, it has since spread across the world, carried by emigrants and descendants from the British Isles to various parts of the Commonwealth and beyond.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mcskimming families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mcskimming surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Ayrshire leads with 2 Mcskimmings recorded in 1881 and an index of 138.89x.

County Total Index
Ayrshire 2 138.89x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Ayr in Ayrshire leads with 1 Mcskimmings recorded in 1881 and an index of 1428.57x.

Place Total Index
Ayr 1 1428.57x
Straiton 1 10000.00x

FAQ

Mcskimming surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mcskimming surname in 1881?

In 1881, 166 people were recorded with the Mcskimming surname. That placed it at #14,496 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mcskimming surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 499 in 2016. That gives Mcskimming a modern rank of #9,997.

What does the Mcskimming surname mean?

A Scottish surname derived from the occupation of skimming milk in a dairy.

What does the Mcskimming map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Mcskimming bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.