NameCensus.

UK surname

Skaife

An English habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "flat-bottomed valley".

In the 1881 census there were 204 people recorded with the Skaife surname, ranking it #12,682 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 270, ranked #15,913, down from #12,682 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Kirkby Malzeard, Pickering and Hampsthwaite. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Ryedale, Conwy and Harrogate.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Skaife is 291 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 32.4%.

1881 census count

204

Ranked #12,682

Modern count

270

2016, ranked #15,913

Peak year

1911

291 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Skaife had 204 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,682 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 270 in 2016, ranked #15,913.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 291 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Skaife surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Skaife surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Skaife 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 139 #13,659
1861 historical 208 #11,642
1881 historical 204 #12,682
1891 historical 214 #14,214
1901 historical 240 #13,461
1911 historical 291 #11,696
1997 modern 279 #14,175
1998 modern 291 #14,155
1999 modern 280 #14,630
2000 modern 274 #14,796
2001 modern 263 #14,999
2002 modern 274 #14,849
2003 modern 264 #15,071
2004 modern 275 #14,717
2005 modern 269 #14,869
2006 modern 272 #14,834
2007 modern 257 #15,606
2008 modern 265 #15,425
2009 modern 265 #15,756
2010 modern 272 #15,811
2011 modern 276 #15,471
2012 modern 285 #15,050
2013 modern 287 #15,224
2014 modern 283 #15,495
2015 modern 277 #15,622
2016 modern 270 #15,913

Geography

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Where Skaifes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Kirkby Malzeard, Pickering, Hampsthwaite, Bradford and St Michael-le-Belfry, St Giles. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Ryedale, Conwy, Harrogate and Burnley. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Kirkby Malzeard Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Pickering Yorkshire, North Riding
3 Hampsthwaite Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
5 St Michael-le-Belfry, St Giles Yorkshire, East Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Ryedale 002 Ryedale
2 Conwy 001 Conwy
3 Harrogate 004 Harrogate
4 Burnley 010 Burnley
5 Harrogate 006 Harrogate

Forenames

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First names often paired with Skaife

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Skaife

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Skaife, 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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Skaife surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Skaife household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Skaife is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Skaife is most concentrated in decile 7 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Skaife falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Skaife is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Skaife

The surname Skaife is of English origin, originating in the region of Yorkshire during the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old Norse word "skeifr," meaning "crooked" or "twisted," potentially referring to a physical characteristic or a location.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Skaife can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Skaife" in the Yorkshire region. This ancient record serves as evidence of the name's longstanding presence in the area.

The name Skaife has also been associated with various place names throughout Yorkshire, such as Skaife Hall in the town of Baildon and Skaife Farm near Settle. These place names likely stemmed from individuals bearing the surname who once resided or owned property in those locations.

Historically, the Skaife surname has been subject to various spellings, including Skayfe, Skafe, and Scaife, reflecting the fluidity of spelling conventions in past centuries.

Notable individuals with the surname Skaife include:

1. Sir Walter Calverley Skaife (1618-1677), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Ripon during the 17th century.

2. John Skaife (1808-1882), a British architect known for designing several notable buildings in Yorkshire, including the Bradford Town Hall.

3. Sarah Skaife (1827-1904), a British writer and activist who campaigned for women's rights and education in the 19th century.

4. Robert Skaife (1856-1938), a prominent Australian businessman and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the development of Melbourne.

5. Alfred Skaife (1865-1941), a South African botanist and naturalist who made significant contributions to the study of flora in southern Africa.

While the Skaife surname has its origins in Yorkshire, it has since spread to other parts of England and beyond, with descendants bearing the name found in various countries around the world.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Skaife families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Skaife 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. Yorkshire leads with 159 Skaifes recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.06x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 159 8.06x
Lancashire 18 0.76x
Cheshire 8 1.82x
Middlesex 8 0.40x
Durham 4 0.68x
Essex 3 0.76x
Kent 3 0.44x
Sussex 1 0.30x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Pickering in Yorkshire leads with 32 Skaifes recorded in 1881 and an index of 1290.32x.

Place Total Index
Pickering 32 1290.32x
Keighley 21 99.90x
Menwith Cum Darley 18 4615.38x
Dacre 17 3863.64x
Hartwith Cum Winsley 9 1250.00x
Felliscliffe 8 3636.36x
Leeds 7 6.29x
Stockport 7 30.97x
Hunslet 6 19.51x
Islington London 6 3.11x
Bishop Thornton 5 1515.15x
Bewerley 4 493.83x
Egglescliffe 4 888.89x
Liverpool 4 2.79x
Maunby 4 2857.14x
Thornthwaite Cum 4 2352.94x
Toxteth Park 4 5.00x
Whitwood 4 142.86x
Batley 3 16.01x
Easingwold 3 215.83x
Woodford 3 67.42x
Bradford 2 4.19x
Greenwich 2 6.31x
Middlesbrough 2 7.79x
North Meols 2 8.65x
Accrington 1 4.66x
Arkendale 1 769.23x
Ashton On Mersey 1 44.05x
Blackburn 1 1.59x
Boltby 1 476.19x
Chichester St Peter 1 370.37x
Chorlton On Medlock 1 2.67x
Everton 1 1.33x
Halton East 1 526.32x
Hulme 1 2.03x
Knayton With Brawith 1 434.78x
Manningham 1 4.12x
Masham 1 136.99x
Newton 1 5.49x
Otley 1 20.88x
Ramsgate 1 9.03x
Ripon 1 21.88x
Rishton 1 36.10x
Scarborough 1 5.58x
St George Hanover 1 3.85x
Whitechapel London 1 5.10x
Whittingham 1 96.15x
York St Mary 1 12.24x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Skaife surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Skaife surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 13
William 13
Robert 12
Joseph 7
George 6
Michael 5
Henry 4
Thomas 4
Smith 3
Albert 2
Alfred 2
Arthur 2
Charles 2
Edwin 2
Francis 2
Frederick 2
Harry 2
Henderson 2
Herbert 2
James 2
Richard 2
Walter 2
Alan 1
Alexander 1
Allinson 1
Benson 1
Cyrus 1
David 1
Earnest 1
Frank 1
Gilbert 1
Hawson 1
Infant 1
Isaac 1
J. 1
Jesper 1
Leanord 1
Peter 1
Robt. 1
Samuel 1
Sidney 1
Wilfred 1

FAQ

Skaife surname: questions and answers

How common was the Skaife surname in 1881?

In 1881, 204 people were recorded with the Skaife surname. That placed it at #12,682 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Skaife surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 270 in 2016. That gives Skaife a modern rank of #15,913.

What does the Skaife surname mean?

An English habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "flat-bottomed valley".

What does the Skaife map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Skaife 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.