NameCensus.

UK surname

Skillett

A surname derived from a maker or seller of skillets and other cooking vessels.

In the 1881 census there were 22 people recorded with the Skillett surname, ranking it #30,464 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 101, ranked #30,929, down from #30,464 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Tonbridge and Malling, East Hampshire and Ashford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Skillett is 108 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 359.1%.

1881 census count

22

Ranked #30,464

Modern count

101

2016, ranked #30,929

Peak year

2002

108 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Skillett had 22 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #30,464 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 101 in 2016, ranked #30,929.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 55 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Suburban Professionals.

Skillett surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Skillett surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Skillett 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 44 #25,328
1861 historical 31 #30,058
1881 historical 22 #30,464
1891 historical 52 #30,061
1901 historical 25 #31,259
1911 historical 55 #27,313
1997 modern 97 #27,342
1998 modern 101 #27,479
1999 modern 103 #27,305
2000 modern 102 #27,425
2001 modern 103 #26,927
2002 modern 108 #26,698
2003 modern 103 #27,234
2004 modern 107 #26,899
2005 modern 101 #27,854
2006 modern 102 #27,926
2007 modern 99 #28,852
2008 modern 96 #29,654
2009 modern 98 #29,906
2010 modern 106 #29,305
2011 modern 103 #29,589
2012 modern 99 #30,442
2013 modern 103 #30,235
2014 modern 105 #30,204
2015 modern 99 #31,168
2016 modern 101 #30,929

Geography

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Where Skilletts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Tonbridge and Malling, East Hampshire, Ashford and Enfield. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Tonbridge and Malling 008 Tonbridge and Malling
2 East Hampshire 007 East Hampshire
3 Ashford 005 Ashford
4 Ashford 008 Ashford
5 Enfield 009 Enfield

Forenames

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First names often paired with Skillett

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Skillett

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

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Suburban Professionals

Nationally, the Skillett surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Suburban Professionals, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Skillett household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Employment in this Group is typically in managerial and professional occupations, and education to degree level is common. Residents are typically of working age, many of whom identify with an Indian ethnicity. Households are unlikely to be of Mixed or Multiple ethnicities, and English is not the main language used in some households. This Group is found on the outskirts of most conurbations as well as in the suburbs of some free-standing towns.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Skillett is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Skillett 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

Skillett falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Skillett

The surname SKILLETT is of English origin, emerging in the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "scillit," meaning a small bell or a dish. The name likely referred to a maker or seller of skillets, small metal pans used for cooking over an open fire.

The earliest recorded instance of the name is found in the Pipe Rolls of Warwickshire from 1195, where a John Skillit is mentioned. The Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327 also list a Robert Skylet, an early variant spelling.

One notable bearer of the name was William Skillett, a merchant and landowner from Somerset who lived from 1520 to 1588. He is mentioned in the county records of the time for his successful trading ventures and acquisition of substantial properties.

In the 17th century, the name appeared in the parish records of Dorset, where a Thomas Skillett was born in 1632. His descendants can be traced through various church records and census data up until the late 19th century.

Another early bearer was John Skillett, a farmer from Wiltshire, born in 1675. He is recorded in the manorial records of the village of Broad Chalke, where his family had held land for generations.

The name SKILLETT is also associated with the village of Skillett, located in Somerset. It is believed that the name may have originated as a locative surname, referring to someone who lived near or came from this place.

In the 18th century, a notable figure was Samuel Skillett, born in 1712 in Gloucestershire. He was a renowned clockmaker and his intricate timepieces can still be found in various museums and private collections.

Throughout its history, the surname SKILLETT has been recorded with various spellings, including Skillit, Skylet, Skyllet, and Skillet, reflecting the regional dialects and variations in spelling practices over time.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Skillett families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Skillett 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. Middlesex leads with 15 Skilletts recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.00x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 15 7.00x
Durham 4 6.27x
Northamptonshire 2 9.92x
Essex 1 2.36x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Paddington London in Middlesex leads with 5 Skilletts recorded in 1881 and an index of 63.45x.

Place Total Index
Paddington London 5 63.45x
Stranton 4 186.05x
Bromley London 3 63.56x
Poplar London 3 74.07x
Willesden 3 148.51x
Burton Latimer 1 833.33x
Hammersmith London 1 18.94x
Irthlingborough 1 500.00x
Leyton Low 1 116.28x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Margaret 2
Ellen 1
Emma 1
Esther 1
Harriet 1
Jane 1
Letticia 1
Martha 1
Mary 1
Matilda 1
Phoebe 1
Rosetta 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 2
Adison 1
Edward 1
Edwin 1
John 1
Richard 1
Robert 1
Thomas 1

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 Skillett households.

FAQ

Skillett surname: questions and answers

How common was the Skillett surname in 1881?

In 1881, 22 people were recorded with the Skillett surname. That placed it at #30,464 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Skillett surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 101 in 2016. That gives Skillett a modern rank of #30,929.

What does the Skillett surname mean?

A surname derived from a maker or seller of skillets and other cooking vessels.

What does the Skillett map show?

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