NameCensus.

UK surname

Skelton

An English occupational surname referring to a person who was thin or skeletal in appearance.

In the 1881 census there were 4,335 people recorded with the Skelton surname, ranking it #1,030 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 6,464, ranked #1,043, down from #1,030 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Gateshead and Leeds. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Redcar and Cleveland, Copeland and Scarborough.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Skelton is 6,864 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 49.1%.

1881 census count

4,335

Ranked #1,030

Modern count

6,464

2016, ranked #1,043

Peak year

1999

6,864 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Skelton had 4,335 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,030 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 6,464 in 2016, ranked #1,043.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 5,727 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Skelton surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Skelton surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Skelton 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 2,888 #1,006
1861 historical 2,263 #1,299
1881 historical 4,335 #1,030
1891 historical 4,507 #1,042
1901 historical 5,556 #1,004
1911 historical 5,727 #915
1997 modern 6,672 #974
1998 modern 6,823 #989
1999 modern 6,864 #992
2000 modern 6,792 #993
2001 modern 6,649 #992
2002 modern 6,717 #1,003
2003 modern 6,538 #1,014
2004 modern 6,579 #1,007
2005 modern 6,449 #1,014
2006 modern 6,408 #1,019
2007 modern 6,444 #1,022
2008 modern 6,444 #1,026
2009 modern 6,544 #1,036
2010 modern 6,660 #1,036
2011 modern 6,582 #1,034
2012 modern 6,426 #1,040
2013 modern 6,563 #1,037
2014 modern 6,580 #1,042
2015 modern 6,496 #1,044
2016 modern 6,464 #1,043

Geography

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Where Skeltons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Gateshead, Leeds and Sheffield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Redcar and Cleveland, Copeland, Scarborough, Gretna and West Lindsey. 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 London parishes London 3
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Leeds Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Redcar and Cleveland 011 Redcar and Cleveland
2 Copeland 004 Copeland
3 Scarborough 014 Scarborough
4 Gretna Dumfries and Galloway
5 West Lindsey 002 West Lindsey

Forenames

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First names often paired with Skelton

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Skelton

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Skelton is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Skelton is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Skelton 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 Skelton 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 Skelton, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Skelton

The surname Skelton originates from the northern parts of England, particularly Yorkshire and Lancashire. It is an English locational surname derived from the Old English words 'scelan' meaning a shelter or temporary dwelling, and 'tun' meaning a farm or settlement. The name likely referred to someone who lived in a particular shelter or temporary dwelling.

Skelton is an ancient surname, with records dating back to the 12th century. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was William de Skelton, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1170. The Skelton family held lands in Yorkshire from a very early period, and the name is associated with several place names in the region, such as Skelton near York and Skelton in Cleveland.

The Skelton surname also appears in the famous Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The entry records a place called 'Scheltun' in Yorkshire, which is believed to be an early spelling of the name Skelton.

Over the centuries, the Skelton name has been spelled in various ways, including Skelton, Skeltone, Schelton, and Schelletun. Some notable individuals with the surname Skelton include John Skelton (c. 1460 - 1529), an English poet and tutor to King Henry VIII, and Philip Skelton (1707 - 1787), an English clergyman and writer.

Another prominent bearer of the name was Sir John Skelton (c. 1534 - 1598), an English soldier and poet who served as a commander in the English army during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. In the 17th century, Samuel Skelton (1592 - 1670) was a English-born Puritan minister who became one of the founders of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in America.

In more recent times, John Skelton (1923 - 1999) was an English comedian and actor, best known for his television comedy shows in the 1960s and 1970s. Kath Skelton (1926 - 2008) was an Australian actress and playwright, who had a successful career on stage and television.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Skelton families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Skelton 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 1,243 Skeltons recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.95x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 1,243 2.95x
Middlesex 349 0.82x
Lincolnshire 326 4.79x
Cumberland 310 8.47x
Surrey 281 1.36x
Durham 250 1.98x
Lancashire 227 0.45x
Nottinghamshire 164 2.86x
Devon 101 1.14x
Staffordshire 91 0.63x
Derbyshire 82 1.23x
Kent 68 0.47x
Northumberland 66 1.04x
Lanarkshire 64 0.47x
Gloucestershire 63 0.76x
Essex 62 0.74x
Cheshire 61 0.65x
Leicestershire 51 1.08x
Norfolk 49 0.75x
Cornwall 40 0.83x
Hampshire 39 0.45x
Suffolk 30 0.58x
Warwickshire 30 0.28x
Shropshire 27 0.74x
Sussex 26 0.36x
Ayrshire 21 0.66x
Worcestershire 20 0.36x
Channel Islands 18 1.43x
Buckinghamshire 17 0.66x
Fife 13 0.52x
Hertfordshire 13 0.44x
Midlothian 13 0.23x
Kincardineshire 12 2.32x
Cambridgeshire 11 0.41x
Bedfordshire 10 0.45x
Berkshire 10 0.31x
Glamorgan 10 0.14x
Northamptonshire 10 0.25x
Westmorland 9 0.96x
Angus 8 0.20x
Stirlingshire 8 0.51x
Clackmannanshire 7 1.99x
Royal Navy 7 1.38x
Banffshire 5 0.57x
Dorset 5 0.18x
Pembrokeshire 4 0.30x
Renfrewshire 4 0.12x
Somerset 4 0.06x
Montgomeryshire 3 0.31x
Buteshire 2 0.78x
Denbighshire 2 0.12x
Dumfriesshire 2 0.21x
Huntingdonshire 2 0.24x
Morayshire 2 0.30x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.03x
Dunbartonshire 1 0.09x
Kinross-shire 1 0.93x
Oxfordshire 1 0.04x
Perthshire 1 0.05x
Roxburghshire 1 0.13x
Wiltshire 1 0.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Sheffield in Yorkshire leads with 65 Skeltons recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.85x.

Place Total Index
Sheffield 65 4.85x
Nether Hallam 56 9.82x
Leeds 48 2.02x
Sculcoates 42 6.29x
New Malton 41 81.38x
Scarborough 40 10.45x
Ovenden 39 20.80x
St Pancras London 39 1.14x
Ecclesall Bierlow 34 3.97x
Brightside Bierlow 33 3.99x
Newington 32 2.04x
Caldewgate 31 15.45x
Plymouth St Andrew 31 4.55x
Camberwell 29 1.07x
Conside Knitsley 28 28.46x
Heeley 28 21.87x
Ecclesfield 27 8.74x
Glossop Dale 27 8.66x
New Monkland 27 6.64x
Drypool 26 40.30x
Islington London 26 0.63x
Lambeth 26 0.70x
Brampton 25 49.81x
Holy Trinity 25 2.47x
Northowram 25 8.46x
Kensington London 24 1.02x
Liverpool 24 0.78x
Luttons Ambo 24 273.97x
St Cuthbert W O 24 13.45x
Swinton In Rotherham 24 21.54x
West Ham 24 1.30x
Nottingham St Mary 23 1.55x
Southcoates 23 9.83x
Handsworth 22 19.75x
Walsall Foreign 20 2.70x
Gateshead 19 2.01x
Hovingham 19 217.64x
Monks Coppenhall 19 5.36x
Clee With Weelsby 18 12.09x
Fulham London 18 2.92x
Great Grimsby 18 4.17x
Hackney London 18 0.76x
Hammersmith London 18 1.72x
Hunslet 18 2.74x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 18 4.76x
Normanton 18 14.22x
Shoreditch London 18 0.98x
West Derby 18 1.22x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 17 4.33x
Battersea 17 1.09x
Bothwell 17 4.56x
Filey 17 49.93x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 17 3.10x
Kimberworth 17 7.27x
Leicester St Margaret 17 1.48x
Wigton 17 30.97x
Crosscanonby 16 13.22x
Darton 16 37.07x
Hornsey 16 2.98x
Rotherham 16 6.74x
Basford 15 5.68x
Dunham 15 380.71x
Hulme 15 1.42x
Plymouth Charles The 15 3.85x
York St Mary 15 8.60x
Barrow On Humber 14 35.48x
Bethnal Green London 14 0.76x
Bridekirk 14 47.88x
Bromley London 14 1.50x
North Kelsey 14 114.10x
Stoke Damerel 14 2.26x
Stonehouse 14 29.54x
Tooting Graveney 14 24.28x
Westoe 14 1.95x
Woodthorpe 14 117.55x
Dawley 13 9.72x
Dunfermline 13 3.36x
North Thoresby 13 118.94x
Stoke D Abernon 13 215.59x
Withersfield 13 155.32x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 286
Elizabeth 169
Sarah 144
Jane 103
Ann 78
Annie 77
Emma 74
Eliza 60
Alice 59
Hannah 53
Ellen 50
Margaret 49
Martha 38
Emily 37
Florence 31
Fanny 30
Edith 29
Frances 27
Charlotte 24
Louisa 24
Maria 23
Caroline 22
Clara 22
Ada 20
Anne 20
Harriett 19
Isabella 19
Catherine 18
Lucy 18
Kate 17
Susannah 17
Harriet 14
Agnes 12
Eleanor 12
Elizth. 11
Ruth 11
Jessie 10
Susan 10
Amy 9
Gertrude 9
Minnie 9
Amelia 8
Rebecca 8
Matilda 7
Susanna 7
Anna 6
Laura 6
Rachel 6
Sophia 6
Rose 5

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 269
William 244
George 156
Thomas 138
Joseph 101
James 97
Charles 87
Henry 87
Robert 77
Richard 45
Arthur 42
Samuel 42
Frederick 33
Alfred 32
Walter 26
Harry 25
Edward 24
Frank 23
Benjamin 22
Tom 18
Herbert 14
Wm. 14
Albert 13
Francis 12
Peter 11
Ernest 10
Fred 10
Matthew 10
David 9
Thos. 9
Edwin 8
Geo. 8
Edmund 7
Fredk. 7
Abraham 6
Jeremiah 6
Jonathan 6
Mark 5
Sydney 5
W. 5
Andrew 4
Anthony 4
Chas. 4
Daniel 4
Jesse 4
Jno. 4
Job 4
Oliver 4
Philip 4
Stephen 4

FAQ

Skelton surname: questions and answers

How common was the Skelton surname in 1881?

In 1881, 4,335 people were recorded with the Skelton surname. That placed it at #1,030 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Skelton surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 6,464 in 2016. That gives Skelton a modern rank of #1,043.

What does the Skelton surname mean?

An English occupational surname referring to a person who was thin or skeletal in appearance.

What does the Skelton map show?

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