NameCensus.

UK surname

Skillern

A locational surname originating from a place name in England.

In the 1881 census there were 61 people recorded with the Skillern surname, ranking it #24,992 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 142, ranked #24,625, up from #24,992 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet,, Deerhurst and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Newport, Forest of Dean and Herefordshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Skillern is 155 in 1997. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 132.8%.

1881 census count

61

Ranked #24,992

Modern count

142

2016, ranked #24,625

Peak year

1997

155 bearers

Map years

5

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Skillern had 61 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #24,992 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 142 in 2016, ranked #24,625.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 149 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Skillern surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Skillern surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Skillern 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 8 #31,867
1861 historical 42 #28,691
1881 historical 61 #24,992
1891 historical 91 #25,239
1901 historical 131 #19,552
1911 historical 149 #17,937
1997 modern 155 #20,684
1998 modern 151 #21,578
1999 modern 151 #21,740
2000 modern 149 #21,874
2001 modern 146 #21,857
2002 modern 147 #22,197
2003 modern 153 #21,406
2004 modern 150 #21,830
2005 modern 144 #22,367
2006 modern 137 #23,270
2007 modern 140 #23,231
2008 modern 146 #22,822
2009 modern 154 #22,536
2010 modern 151 #23,377
2011 modern 155 #22,790
2012 modern 150 #23,264
2013 modern 150 #23,653
2014 modern 146 #24,274
2015 modern 147 #24,036
2016 modern 142 #24,625

Geography

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Where Skillerns are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet,, Deerhurst, London parishes and Eldersfield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Newport, Forest of Dean, Herefordshire and Monmouthshire. 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 Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet, Gloucestershire
2 Deerhurst Gloucestershire
3 London parishes London 1
4 Eldersfield Worcestershire
5 London parishes London 3

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Newport 003 Newport
2 Forest of Dean 003 Forest of Dean
3 Herefordshire 022 Herefordshire, County of
4 Monmouthshire 006 Monmouthshire
5 Newport 002 Newport

Forenames

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First names often paired with Skillern

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Skillern

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Skillern surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Skillern household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Skillern 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

Skillern 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

Skillern falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Skillern

The surname Skillern is believed to have originated in England, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "scill," meaning skill or knowledge, and "ærn," meaning house or dwelling, essentially translating to "house of skill" or "skillful house."

One of the earliest recorded references to the name can be found in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1327, where a Robert Skyllerne is listed as a taxpayer. The surname also appears in various medieval records, such as the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1437, where a Thomas Skyllerne is mentioned.

The name Skillern was historically concentrated in the counties of Gloucestershire, Somerset, and Wiltshire in the southwest of England. It is likely that the name originated in one of these regions, with various spellings such as Skyllerne, Skyllern, and Skillen being used interchangeably in early records.

In the 16th century, the surname Skillern can be traced to a few notable individuals. William Skillerne (c. 1520-1589) was an English clergyman and author who served as the Archdeacon of Taunton in Somerset. Another figure from this period was Robert Skillern (c. 1550-1610), a yeoman farmer from Gloucestershire who was involved in land disputes recorded in the Court of Chancery.

During the 17th century, the Skillern surname continued to be present in various regions of England. One notable figure was John Skillern (1623-1686), a merchant and landowner from Somerset who left a substantial estate upon his death. Another individual was Mary Skillern (1658-1732), a celebrated midwife from Wiltshire who attended to numerous births in the local community.

In the 18th century, the name Skillern became more widespread across England, with records indicating individuals bearing the surname in various parts of the country. One prominent figure was Thomas Skillern (1745-1819), a successful businessman from London who made his fortune in the textile trade.

As the centuries progressed, the Skillern surname spread beyond England, with individuals bearing the name settling in various parts of the world, including North America, Australia, and other English-speaking countries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Skillern families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Skillern 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. Surrey leads with 21 Skillerns recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.25x.

County Total Index
Surrey 21 7.25x
Gloucestershire 15 12.86x
Worcestershire 15 19.31x
Durham 6 3.39x
Lancashire 2 0.28x
Middlesex 2 0.34x

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 12 Skillerns recorded in 1881 and an index of 23.14x.

Place Total Index
Lambeth 12 23.14x
Eldersfield 10 8333.33x
Clapham 7 94.09x
Crook Billy Row 6 264.32x
Strensham 5 12500.00x
Bulley 4 13333.33x
Churcham 3 3000.00x
Deerhurst 3 1764.71x
Oldham 2 8.78x
St Pancras London 2 4.18x
Tooting Graveney 2 246.91x
Barnwood 1 625.00x
Eastington 1 256.41x
Gloucester St Mary Grace 1 2500.00x
Leigh 1 1428.57x
Winchcomb 1 172.41x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Ann 3
Elizabeth 3
Mary 3
Emily 2
Fanny 2
Agnes 1
Alice 1
Annette 1
Annie 1
Caroline 1
Clara 1
Edith 1
Frances 1
Katie 1
Maria 1
William 1

Top male names

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

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 Skillern households.

FAQ

Skillern surname: questions and answers

How common was the Skillern surname in 1881?

In 1881, 61 people were recorded with the Skillern surname. That placed it at #24,992 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Skillern surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 142 in 2016. That gives Skillern a modern rank of #24,625.

What does the Skillern surname mean?

A locational surname originating from a place name in England.

What does the Skillern map show?

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