NameCensus.

UK surname

Skeen

Derived from the Old Norse personal name Skeggi, meaning "bearded" or "a man with a beard."

In the 1881 census there were 282 people recorded with the Skeen surname, ranking it #10,148 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 305, ranked #14,576, down from #10,148 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Stockport and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Northumberland, Gateshead and County Durham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Skeen is 352 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 8.2%.

1881 census count

282

Ranked #10,148

Modern count

305

2016, ranked #14,576

Peak year

1901

352 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Skeen had 282 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,148 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 305 in 2016, ranked #14,576.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 352 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Skeen surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Skeen surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Skeen 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 240 #9,068
1861 historical 187 #12,690
1881 historical 282 #10,148
1891 historical 337 #10,133
1901 historical 352 #10,394
1911 historical 341 #10,468
1997 modern 296 #13,646
1998 modern 307 #13,690
1999 modern 316 #13,505
2000 modern 322 #13,307
2001 modern 305 #13,594
2002 modern 322 #13,354
2003 modern 321 #13,218
2004 modern 315 #13,450
2005 modern 309 #13,552
2006 modern 308 #13,669
2007 modern 309 #13,760
2008 modern 321 #13,516
2009 modern 332 #13,458
2010 modern 339 #13,523
2011 modern 332 #13,608
2012 modern 317 #13,960
2013 modern 321 #14,073
2014 modern 314 #14,371
2015 modern 311 #14,369
2016 modern 305 #14,576

Geography

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Where Skeens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Stockport, London parishes, Elgin and Lambeth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Northumberland, Gateshead, County Durham and Hyndburn. 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 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 Stockport Cheshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Elgin Elgin
5 Lambeth London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Northumberland 002 Northumberland
2 Gateshead 019 Gateshead
3 County Durham 047 County Durham
4 Northumberland 003 Northumberland
5 Hyndburn 001 Hyndburn

Forenames

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First names often paired with Skeen

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Skeen

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Skeen surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Skeen household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Skeen is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Skeen is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Skeen falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Skeen is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Skeen

The surname Skeen has its origins in Scotland, emerging in the 14th century. It is derived from the Gaelic word "sgian," which means "knife" or "dagger," suggesting a connection to a profession or ancestral trade involving blades or weapons.

The name was concentrated in the Highlands of Scotland, particularly in areas like Perthshire and Inverness-shire. It appeared in several variations, such as Skeyn, Skene, and Skeyne, reflecting the fluidity of spelling conventions in earlier times.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from 1363, which mention a John Skene receiving payment for services rendered to the Crown. Another notable early reference is in the Breviarium Aberdonense, a 15th-century Scottish ecclesiastical manuscript, where a Willelmus Skene is listed among the cathedral clergy.

The Skeen surname gained prominence through several notable individuals throughout history. Sir John Skene (1543-1617) was a renowned Scottish jurist and Lord Clerk Register, responsible for compiling and publishing the ancient laws of Scotland. Robert Skene (1619-1633) was a Scottish minister and author of a work titled "A Breif Descriptioun of the Isles of Scotland."

In the 17th century, James Skene (1633-1681), a Scottish merchant and landowner, acquired the estate of Newtyle in Angus, establishing a lineage of the Skene family in that region. Andrew Skene (1784-1838), a descendant of this line, became a prominent lawyer and served as Lord Provost of Aberdeen.

Another notable figure was Ralph Skene (1807-1867), a Scottish civil engineer who made significant contributions to the construction of railways and bridges in India during the British Raj era.

While the Skeen surname originated in Scotland, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and diasporas, with bearers of the name found in various countries, including the United States, Canada, and Australia.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Skeen families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Skeen 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. Northumberland leads with 66 Skeens recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.60x.

County Total Index
Northumberland 66 16.60x
Surrey 41 3.15x
Middlesex 38 1.42x
Yorkshire 28 1.06x
Durham 18 2.26x
Cheshire 15 2.54x
Lancashire 14 0.44x
Berwickshire 11 33.98x
Kent 11 1.21x
Angus 8 3.23x
Perthshire 8 6.67x
Aberdeenshire 6 2.42x
Midlothian 3 0.84x
Morayshire 2 4.82x
Roxburghshire 2 4.13x
Essex 1 0.19x
Kincardineshire 1 3.07x
Northamptonshire 1 0.40x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lambeth in Surrey leads with 28 Skeens recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.01x.

Place Total Index
Lambeth 28 12.01x
Bywell St Peter 11 9166.67x
Bosden 10 552.49x
Duddo 10 5882.35x
Edrom 10 719.42x
Elswick 10 31.51x
Westgate 10 40.60x
Tinsley 9 967.74x
Tweedmouth 9 181.45x
Bethnal Green London 8 6.89x
Alyth 7 216.72x
Easby In Stokesley 7 5833.33x
Forfar 7 52.20x
Battersea 6 6.10x
Byker 6 30.52x
Bexley 5 62.03x
Chelsea London 5 6.21x
Clerkenwell London 5 7.93x
Moss Side 5 29.96x
St Anne Soho London 5 32.77x
St Dunstan In West 5 877.19x
Stokesley 5 303.03x
Tynemouth 5 23.47x
Urpeth 5 322.58x
Westwell 5 549.45x
Bosley 4 1081.08x
Faceby 4 2500.00x
Newton In Makerfield 4 41.19x
Wooler 4 285.71x
Blackburn 3 3.56x
Bow London 3 8.82x
Camberwell 3 1.76x
Dawdon 3 30.67x
Haswell 3 52.63x
Streatham 3 15.13x
Tarland 3 280.37x
Aberdeen Old Machar 2 3.87x
Great Aycliffe 2 259.74x
Islington London 2 0.77x
Leeds 2 1.34x
New Spynie 2 134.23x
North Leith 2 12.07x
Pelton 2 52.91x
Stitchel 2 625.00x
Westminster St 2 20.30x
Ayton 1 53.19x
Bervie 1 51.81x
Blackley 1 17.99x
Bournmoor 1 80.00x
Bramhall 1 40.98x
Cairney 1 69.44x
Caterham 1 17.36x
Dundee 1 1.08x
Edinburgh St Stephens 1 14.18x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 1 2.90x
Kensington London 1 0.67x
Mile End Old Town 1 2.37x
Muthill 1 63.69x
Northampton St Sepulchre 1 7.82x
Spitalfields London 1 4.98x
Stifford 1 384.62x
Stretford 1 5.73x
Tanfield 1 10.57x
Walmer 1 25.25x
West Lilburn 1 500.00x
Wyke In Bradford 1 21.10x

Top female names

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

FAQ

Skeen surname: questions and answers

How common was the Skeen surname in 1881?

In 1881, 282 people were recorded with the Skeen surname. That placed it at #10,148 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Skeen surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 305 in 2016. That gives Skeen a modern rank of #14,576.

What does the Skeen surname mean?

Derived from the Old Norse personal name Skeggi, meaning "bearded" or "a man with a beard."

What does the Skeen map show?

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