NameCensus.

UK surname

Skea

Of Scottish origin, a locational surname derived from the Isle of Skye.

In the 1881 census there were 246 people recorded with the Skea surname, ranking it #11,201 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 323, ranked #13,997, down from #11,201 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Arbroath and St. Vigeans, Edinburgh and Shapinsay. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Isles, Culter and East Kirkwall.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Skea is 328 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 31.3%.

1881 census count

246

Ranked #11,201

Modern count

323

2016, ranked #13,997

Peak year

2010

328 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Skea had 246 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,201 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 323 in 2016, ranked #13,997.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 296 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Skea surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Skea surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Skea 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 234 #9,241
1861 historical 193 #12,371
1881 historical 246 #11,201
1891 historical 296 #11,215
1901 historical 295 #11,783
1911 historical 51 #27,708
1997 modern 277 #14,253
1998 modern 292 #14,120
1999 modern 313 #13,587
2000 modern 313 #13,541
2001 modern 304 #13,619
2002 modern 321 #13,378
2003 modern 314 #13,419
2004 modern 315 #13,450
2005 modern 313 #13,433
2006 modern 308 #13,669
2007 modern 311 #13,703
2008 modern 308 #13,882
2009 modern 316 #13,933
2010 modern 328 #13,856
2011 modern 320 #13,976
2012 modern 321 #13,836
2013 modern 320 #14,104
2014 modern 322 #14,113
2015 modern 318 #14,155
2016 modern 323 #13,997

Geography

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Where Skeas are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Arbroath and St. Vigeans, Edinburgh, Shapinsay, Westray and Papa Westray and Bishop Wearmouth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Isles, Culter, East Kirkwall, East Mainland and West Kirkwall. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Arbroath and St. Vigeans Forfar
2 Edinburgh Edinburgh
3 Shapinsay Orkney
4 Westray and Papa Westray Orkney
5 Bishop Wearmouth Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Isles Orkney Islands
2 Culter Aberdeen City
3 East Kirkwall Orkney Islands
4 East Mainland Orkney Islands
5 West Kirkwall Orkney Islands

Forenames

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First names often paired with Skea

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Skea

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Skea surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Skea household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

City Support Workers

Within London, Skea is most associated with areas classed as City Support Workers, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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

Scattered throughout Inner London, these areas house relatively few workers in the most senior roles within organisations, and greater prevalence of administrative roles relative to the Supergroup mean. Residents are less likely to be of Chinese ethnicity and are more likely to have been born in Africa. Relative to the Supergroup average, residents are also more likely to live in social housing and live in overcrowded conditions.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Skea 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

Skea falls in decile 7 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Skea is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Skea

The surname SKEA is of Scottish origin, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the 16th century in the Shetland Islands. It is believed to be derived from the Old Norse word "skeið," which means a flat-bottomed boat or a long strip of land.

The name SKEA is thought to have originated as a topographic surname, referring to individuals who lived near or owned land in areas resembling the shape or features of a flat-bottomed boat or a long stretch of land. Some of the earliest references to the name can be found in the Shetland Parish Records from the late 16th century.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the SKEA surname was John Skea, who was born in Shetland around 1620. In the 18th century, there are records of a James Skea, born in 1725, who was a prominent merchant and landowner in the Shetland Islands.

As the name spread beyond the Shetland Islands, it underwent various spelling variations, including Skea, Skee, and Skei. In the 19th century, a notable bearer of the SKEA surname was William Skea, a Scottish architect born in 1803, who designed several notable buildings in Aberdeen and other parts of Scotland.

Another person of historical significance with the SKEA surname was Hector Skea, born in 1854 in Shetland. He was a renowned sea captain and explorer who contributed to the exploration and charting of the Arctic regions in the late 19th century.

In more recent times, one of the most prominent individuals with the SKEA surname was Alexander Skea, a Scottish-born Australian politician and businessman born in 1872. He served as a member of the Australian House of Representatives and was involved in various business ventures in the mining and agricultural sectors.

While the SKEA surname is relatively uncommon, it has a rich history rooted in the rugged landscapes of the Shetland Islands and the maritime traditions of Scotland. Despite its rarity, it has been carried by individuals who have made significant contributions in various fields throughout the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Skea families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Skea 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. Orkney leads with 133 Skeas recorded in 1881 and an index of 505.90x.

County Total Index
Orkney 133 505.90x
Angus 58 26.20x
Aberdeenshire 19 8.58x
Lanarkshire 10 1.29x
Midlothian 7 2.19x
Shetland 6 24.58x
Dunbartonshire 4 6.23x
Suffolk 3 1.03x
Kincardineshire 2 6.87x
Caithness 1 3.06x
Renfrewshire 1 0.54x
Ross-shire 1 1.52x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lady in Orkney leads with 53 Skeas recorded in 1881 and an index of 6794.87x.

Place Total Index
Lady 53 6794.87x
St Andrews Deerness 41 2971.01x
Arbroath 18 245.23x
St Vigeans 14 117.15x
Shapinshay 13 1625.00x
Barony 9 4.60x
Drumoak 9 1184.21x
Dundee 8 9.68x
Evie Rendall 8 720.72x
Kirkwall St Ola 8 203.05x
Airlie 6 845.07x
Lerwick Gulberwick 6 158.73x
Aberdeen Old Machar 5 10.82x
Cross Burness N 5 364.96x
South Leith 5 13.88x
Bonhill 4 38.80x
Liff Benvie 4 11.90x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 3 7.24x
Cortachy 3 1071.43x
Lowestoft 3 21.82x
Stronsay Eday 3 174.42x
Abroath St Vigeans 2 219.78x
Arbuthnott 2 303.03x
Strathmartine 2 204.08x
Birsay Harray 1 52.36x
Echt 1 93.46x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 1 0.78x
Edinburgh St Georges 1 15.06x
Forfar 1 8.34x
Glenbucket 1 243.90x
Govan 1 0.52x
Port Glasgow 1 11.17x
Stornoway 1 11.70x
Stromness 1 50.76x
Watten 1 86.96x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Caroline 1
Carrie 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Skea households.

Occupation Count
Comedian (Actor) 1

FAQ

Skea surname: questions and answers

How common was the Skea surname in 1881?

In 1881, 246 people were recorded with the Skea surname. That placed it at #11,201 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Skea surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 323 in 2016. That gives Skea a modern rank of #13,997.

What does the Skea surname mean?

Of Scottish origin, a locational surname derived from the Isle of Skye.

What does the Skea map show?

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