NameCensus.

UK surname

Skidmore

An English occupational surname referring to a dealer or trader of hides and animal skins.

In the 1881 census there were 2,198 people recorded with the Skidmore surname, ranking it #2,018 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,286, ranked #2,064, down from #2,018 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Kingswinford and Dudley. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Dudley, Hartlepool and Redcar and Cleveland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Skidmore is 3,576 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 49.5%.

1881 census count

2,198

Ranked #2,018

Modern count

3,286

2016, ranked #2,064

Peak year

1999

3,576 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Skidmore had 2,198 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,018 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,286 in 2016, ranked #2,064.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,959 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Skidmore surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Skidmore surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Skidmore 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 1,220 #2,337
1861 historical 1,168 #2,417
1881 historical 2,198 #2,018
1891 historical 2,399 #1,963
1901 historical 2,876 #1,945
1911 historical 2,959 #1,755
1997 modern 3,450 #1,875
1998 modern 3,563 #1,894
1999 modern 3,576 #1,900
2000 modern 3,531 #1,921
2001 modern 3,449 #1,923
2002 modern 3,526 #1,924
2003 modern 3,397 #1,949
2004 modern 3,379 #1,960
2005 modern 3,286 #1,983
2006 modern 3,290 #1,993
2007 modern 3,323 #1,990
2008 modern 3,314 #2,018
2009 modern 3,391 #2,021
2010 modern 3,396 #2,053
2011 modern 3,345 #2,052
2012 modern 3,276 #2,056
2013 modern 3,333 #2,056
2014 modern 3,358 #2,055
2015 modern 3,298 #2,070
2016 modern 3,286 #2,064

Geography

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Where Skidmores are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Kingswinford, Dudley, Halesowen (all except Hunnington, Romsley; partly in Halesowen, Worcestershire) and London parishes. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Dudley, Hartlepool, Redcar and Cleveland, Wakefield and Derbyshire Dales. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 Kingswinford Worcestershire
3 Dudley Staffordshire
4 Halesowen (all except Hunnington, Romsley; partly in Halesowen, Worcestershire) Staffordshire
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Dudley 017 Dudley
2 Hartlepool 012 Hartlepool
3 Redcar and Cleveland 016 Redcar and Cleveland
4 Wakefield 023 Wakefield
5 Derbyshire Dales 003 Derbyshire Dales

Forenames

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First names often paired with Skidmore

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Skidmore

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

Young Families in Industrial Towns

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

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

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Skidmore 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

Skidmore 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

Skidmore 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 Skidmore is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Skidmore

The surname Skidmore is an English locational name derived from a place called Skidmore in Shropshire. The name is believed to come from the Old English words "sceadan" meaning to divide or separate, and "mor" meaning a moor or marsh. This suggests the name originated from a place near a divided or separated marsh or moorland.

The earliest known record of the name dates back to the 13th century in the Shropshire Assize Rolls of 1292, where one William de Skydymor was mentioned. The spelling variations in early documents include Skydymor, Skydmore, Skidmore, and Skydmayre among others.

In the 16th century, the Skidmore surname appears in various parish records across Shropshire and the surrounding counties. Notably, a John Skidmore was recorded in the Munslow Parish Registers in 1572, and a Richard Skidmore was mentioned in the Shrewsbury Abbey Rolls in 1588.

One of the earliest known Skidmores was Thomas Skidmore (c.1510-1572), an English clergyman who served as the Archdeacon of Dorset and held several other ecclesiastical positions. Another notable bearer of the name was Sir William Skidmore (c.1580-1661), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Shropshire during the reign of King Charles I.

In the 18th century, the Skidmore family had established itself as a prominent landowning family in Shropshire. One of the most notable members was Thomas Skidmore (1745-1827), a wealthy landowner and industrialist who owned several coal mines and ironworks in the area.

During the 19th century, the Skidmore name spread across various parts of England and beyond. One of the most famous Skidmores of this era was Thomas Skidmore (1790-1868), a noted English architect who designed several notable buildings, including the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge.

Other notable individuals with the Skidmore surname include Sir Armine Woodhouse Skidmore (1854-1948), a British army officer and recipient of the Victoria Cross; and Steve Skidmore (1939-2020), an English football player who played for several top clubs, including Liverpool and Leicester City.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Skidmore families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Skidmore 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. Staffordshire leads with 486 Skidmores recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.71x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 486 6.71x
Worcestershire 261 9.31x
Yorkshire 219 1.03x
Gloucestershire 177 4.20x
Warwickshire 169 3.12x
Derbyshire 168 5.00x
Lancashire 150 0.59x
Middlesex 145 0.68x
Oxfordshire 62 4.68x
Nottinghamshire 53 1.83x
Durham 52 0.81x
Surrey 37 0.35x
Leicestershire 30 1.26x
Somerset 28 0.81x
Devon 24 0.54x
Shropshire 23 1.24x
Hertfordshire 18 1.22x
Cheshire 17 0.36x
Monmouthshire 13 0.84x
Glamorgan 12 0.32x
Lanarkshire 11 0.16x
Northamptonshire 8 0.40x
Cornwall 6 0.25x
Herefordshire 5 0.57x
Merionethshire 4 1.02x
Hampshire 3 0.07x
Kent 3 0.04x
Lincolnshire 3 0.09x
Pembrokeshire 3 0.44x
Rutland 3 1.90x
Norfolk 2 0.06x
Wiltshire 2 0.11x
Berkshire 1 0.06x
Dorset 1 0.07x
Essex 1 0.02x
Royal Navy 1 0.39x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Kingswinford in Staffordshire leads with 128 Skidmores recorded in 1881 and an index of 48.64x.

Place Total Index
Kingswinford 128 48.64x
Dudley 112 32.86x
West Bromwich 85 20.49x
Oldbury 75 54.37x
Birmingham 72 3.99x
Wednesbury 50 27.61x
Aston 47 3.15x
Tackley 44 1108.31x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 39 9.84x
Winterbourne 35 150.41x
Bristol St George 30 15.40x
Hoyland Nether 30 57.49x
Ecclesall Bierlow 28 6.47x
Harborne 27 11.62x
Wolverhampton 27 4.85x
Nether Hallam 25 8.69x
Bedminster 24 7.39x
Handsworth 24 13.44x
Wednesfield 24 22.50x
Buxton 23 80.84x
Islington London 22 1.06x
Amblecote 21 101.65x
Leicester St Mary 21 10.92x
Rawmarsh 21 27.94x
Tipton 20 9.01x
Litton 19 355.81x
St Pancras London 19 1.10x
Warrington 19 6.29x
Sedgley 18 6.69x
Winlaton 18 29.37x
Brightside Bierlow 17 4.07x
Stourbridge 17 23.57x
Rotherham 16 13.34x
Salford 15 2.00x
Bakewell 14 76.13x
Dawley 14 20.74x
Hucknall Torkard 14 19.08x
Hulme 14 2.63x
Whittington 14 30.10x
Kings Norton 13 5.17x
Nottingham St Mary 13 1.74x
Cheltenham 12 3.69x
Clase 12 8.63x
Frampton Cotterell 12 81.19x
Kimberworth 12 10.16x
Bethnal Green London 11 1.18x
Cannock 11 8.70x
Cornwood 11 128.81x
Gloucester Barton St Mary 11 14.28x
Lambeth 11 0.59x
Ormesby 11 19.24x
Plympton St Mary 11 42.59x
Wollescote 11 48.72x
Bromley London 10 2.12x
Coundon 10 38.63x
Liverpool 10 0.65x
Seaton Carew 10 77.82x
Taddington 10 333.33x
Worsley 10 6.37x
Chelmorton 9 523.26x
Great Longstone With 9 250.70x
Habergham Eaves 9 3.86x
Ince In Makerfield 9 7.59x
Poplar London 9 2.22x
Camberwell 8 0.58x
Cheetham 8 4.21x
Great Bolton 8 2.37x
Hammersmith London 8 1.51x
Linthorpe 8 6.30x
Matlock 8 17.73x
Northchurch 8 50.63x
Nottingham St Peter 8 24.80x
Radford 8 5.44x
Aberystruth 7 5.12x
Coventry St Michael 7 4.02x
Kilton 7 219.44x
Norton 7 25.27x
Potterspury 7 86.63x
Wollaston 7 39.35x
Wombwell 7 11.28x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 148
Sarah 101
Elizabeth 82
Jane 45
Emma 41
Ann 36
Annie 36
Eliza 33
Emily 32
Hannah 31
Martha 26
Ellen 23
Clara 21
Louisa 20
Alice 18
Florence 18
Maria 17
Fanny 14
Margaret 14
Harriet 13
Harriett 13
Ada 12
Charlotte 11
Lucy 11
Agnes 10
Susan 9
Matilda 8
Phoebe 8
Rose 8
Catherine 7
Elizth. 7
Sophia 7
Anne 6
Laura 6
Lydia 6
Celia 5
Esther 5
Isabella 5
Julia 5
Betsy 4
Caroline 4
Edith 4
Lousia 4
Maud 4
Prudence 4
Susannah 4
Amelia 3
Kate 3
Nancy 3
Priscilla 3

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 122
William 105
Thomas 75
Joseph 73
George 69
James 54
Henry 43
Charles 29
Benjamin 28
David 27
Samuel 23
Alfred 22
Arthur 21
Richard 19
Edward 18
Frederick 16
Albert 15
Harry 12
Frank 11
Peter 9
Daniel 8
Edwin 8
Noah 8
Thos. 8
Jeremiah 7
Herbert 6
Isaac 6
Job 6
Robert 6
Walter 6
Wm. 6
Elijah 5
Ernest 5
Francis 5
Enoch 4
Geo. 4
Joshua 4
Luke 4
Anthony 3
Cornelius 3
Ephraim 3
Fredrick 3
Isiah 3
Josiah 3
Mark 3
Stephen 3
Bernard 2
Edw. 2
Eli 2
Jos. 2

FAQ

Skidmore surname: questions and answers

How common was the Skidmore surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,198 people were recorded with the Skidmore surname. That placed it at #2,018 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Skidmore surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,286 in 2016. That gives Skidmore a modern rank of #2,064.

What does the Skidmore surname mean?

An English occupational surname referring to a dealer or trader of hides and animal skins.

What does the Skidmore map show?

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