NameCensus.

UK surname

Skelley

An Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Scolaidhe, meaning "descendant of a scholar."

In the 1881 census there were 127 people recorded with the Skelley surname, ranking it #17,166 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 265, ranked #16,130, up from #17,166 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Silkstone and Modbury, Bigbury, Ermington, Kingston. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Hams and Barnsley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Skelley is 284 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 108.7%.

1881 census count

127

Ranked #17,166

Modern count

265

2016, ranked #16,130

Peak year

1998

284 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Skelley had 127 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,166 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 265 in 2016, ranked #16,130.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 233 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Skelley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Skelley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Skelley 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 133 #14,106
1861 historical 118 #18,512
1881 historical 127 #17,166
1891 historical 163 #17,300
1901 historical 196 #15,329
1911 historical 233 #13,560
1997 modern 273 #14,417
1998 modern 284 #14,402
1999 modern 281 #14,578
2000 modern 272 #14,868
2001 modern 265 #14,915
2002 modern 264 #15,236
2003 modern 244 #15,861
2004 modern 253 #15,583
2005 modern 241 #16,036
2006 modern 242 #16,097
2007 modern 256 #15,647
2008 modern 258 #15,732
2009 modern 270 #15,551
2010 modern 274 #15,705
2011 modern 269 #15,800
2012 modern 263 #15,954
2013 modern 282 #15,441
2014 modern 274 #15,877
2015 modern 268 #16,007
2016 modern 265 #16,130

Geography

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Where Skelleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Silkstone, Modbury, Bigbury, Ermington, Kingston, Manchester and Cornwood. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Hams and Barnsley. 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 London parishes London 1
2 Silkstone Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Modbury, Bigbury, Ermington, Kingston Devon
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Cornwood Devon

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Hams 001 South Hams
2 South Hams 005 South Hams
3 Barnsley 018 Barnsley
4 Barnsley 017 Barnsley
5 South Hams 002 South Hams

Forenames

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First names often paired with Skelley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Skelley

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Skelley, 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 Skelley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Skelley 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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Skelley is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, 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.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Skelley is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Skelley falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Skelley 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 Skelley, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Skelley

The surname Skelley is an English locational name derived from the parish and village of Skelldale in North Yorkshire, England. The name is believed to have originated in the late 12th century, with the earliest known recording of the name dating back to 1206 in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire, where one William de Scheldale is mentioned.

The name Skelldale itself is thought to have come from the Old Norse words 'skjaldari' meaning 'shelter' and 'dalr' meaning 'valley', suggesting that the area was a sheltered valley or hamlet. Over time, the name evolved into various spellings such as Skeldale, Skelley, and Skelley.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, the village of Skelldale is not mentioned by name, but it is believed to have been part of the larger manor of Masham, which was recorded in the survey. This suggests that the village and its associated surname were already in existence before the Norman Conquest.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Skelley was John Skelley, who was born in Skelldale around 1380. He is mentioned in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Masham, where he served as a church warden in the early 15th century.

Another notable bearer of the name was Thomas Skelley, a yeoman farmer from Skelldale who lived in the 16th century. He is mentioned in the manorial records of the village, and his descendants continued to live in the area for several generations.

In the 17th century, the name Skelley gained prominence with the birth of William Skelley (1631-1692), a successful merchant and landowner from Skelldale. He acquired significant property in the area and was involved in local politics, serving as a justice of the peace.

During the English Civil War, a man named Robert Skelley (1620-1680) fought as a captain in the Parliamentarian army under Oliver Cromwell. He was present at the Battle of Marston Moor in 1644 and is mentioned in several accounts of the conflict.

In the 19th century, the name Skelley spread beyond North Yorkshire as families migrated to other parts of England and abroad. One notable figure was James Skelley (1814-1892), a successful industrialist from Manchester who owned several textile mills and was involved in the development of the city's infrastructure.

These are just a few examples of individuals who have borne the surname Skelley throughout history, but there are undoubtedly many more who have contributed to the rich tapestry of this locational name from the sheltered valleys of North Yorkshire.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Skelley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Skelley 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 28 Skelleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.05x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 28 2.05x
Lancashire 18 1.10x
Cheshire 16 5.27x
Isle of Man 16 62.65x
Devon 14 4.89x
Durham 13 3.18x
Middlesex 10 0.73x
Northumberland 6 2.93x
Somerset 6 2.71x
Warwickshire 5 1.44x
Lanarkshire 4 0.90x
Staffordshire 4 0.86x
Leicestershire 1 0.66x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hulme in Lancashire leads with 9 Skelleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 26.42x.

Place Total Index
Hulme 9 26.42x
York St John Micklegate 9 2727.27x
Dukinfield 8 57.02x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 8 45.15x
Onchan 8 108.70x
Barnsley 6 42.67x
Bedminster 6 28.85x
Shaugh Prior 6 1818.18x
Kirkdale 5 18.21x
North Shields 5 122.55x
Sheffield 5 11.52x
Stoke Damerel 5 24.95x
Westoe 5 21.55x
Birkenhead 4 16.53x
Birmingham 4 3.46x
Chelsea London 4 9.65x
Kimberworth 4 52.91x
Macclesfield 4 29.63x
Rushen 4 231.21x
St Pancras London 4 3.61x
Batley 3 23.17x
German 3 215.83x
Plymouth St Andrew 3 13.61x
Stoke Upon Trent 3 6.09x
Barony 2 1.78x
Chorlton On Medlock 2 7.71x
Liverpool 2 2.02x
St Andrew Holborn 2 42.92x
Cambusnethan 1 10.12x
Govan 1 0.91x
Handsworth 1 8.74x
Hinckley 1 27.62x
Holy Trinity 1 3.05x
Jesmond 1 34.72x
Lezayre 1 86.96x
Southam 1 119.05x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 12
John 10
Thomas 6
James 5
Charles 4
Edward 3
George 3
Albert 2
Thos. 2
Daniel 1
Dennis 1
Frank 1
Frederick 1
Fredrick 1
Henry 1
Joseph 1
Luke 1
Michael 1
Michel 1
Percy 1
Peter 1
Richard 1
Robert 1
Samuel 1
Tom 1
Wilfred 1
Will. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Skelley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Skelley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 127 people were recorded with the Skelley surname. That placed it at #17,166 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Skelley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 265 in 2016. That gives Skelley a modern rank of #16,130.

What does the Skelley surname mean?

An Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Scolaidhe, meaning "descendant of a scholar."

What does the Skelley map show?

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