NameCensus.

UK surname

Skinner

An occupational surname referring to someone who skinned animals for their hides or pelts.

In the 1881 census there were 15,141 people recorded with the Skinner surname, ranking it #261 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 17,936, ranked #336, down from #261 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Seaboard, Black Isle South and Boston.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Skinner is 19,326 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 18.5%.

1881 census count

15,141

Ranked #261

Modern count

17,936

2016, ranked #336

Peak year

1999

19,326 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Skinner had 15,141 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #261 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 17,936 in 2016, ranked #336.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 18,482 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Skinner surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Skinner surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Skinner 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 10,027 #254
1861 historical 9,159 #299
1881 historical 15,141 #261
1891 historical 15,569 #272
1901 historical 18,482 #271
1911 historical 17,820 #261
1997 modern 18,643 #313
1998 modern 19,215 #313
1999 modern 19,326 #311
2000 modern 19,243 #310
2001 modern 18,699 #312
2002 modern 18,894 #319
2003 modern 18,347 #321
2004 modern 18,264 #323
2005 modern 17,726 #328
2006 modern 17,621 #328
2007 modern 17,720 #328
2008 modern 17,782 #329
2009 modern 18,140 #329
2010 modern 18,364 #336
2011 modern 18,068 #334
2012 modern 17,690 #336
2013 modern 18,130 #336
2014 modern 18,266 #335
2015 modern 18,065 #335
2016 modern 17,936 #336

Geography

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Where Skinners are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, St Pancras and Edinburgh. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Seaboard, Black Isle South and Boston. 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 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 Edinburgh Edinburgh

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Seaboard Highland
2 Black Isle South Highland
3 Boston 004 Boston
4 Boston 001 Boston
5 Boston 009 Boston

Forenames

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First names often paired with Skinner

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Skinner

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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Skinner surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Skinner household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Skinner is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Skinner is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Skinner falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Skinner

The surname Skinner originated in England and Scotland during the late medieval period. It is an occupational name derived from the Old English word "scinnere," meaning a dealer or worker in skins or hides. The name typically referred to a person who prepared and sold animal skins, a crucial trade in the days before large-scale textile manufacturing.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Skinner can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where a John le Skinnere is mentioned in Oxfordshire. The Skinners are also mentioned in the records of the City of London, where they formed a guild or company in 1311, indicating the prominence of their trade in the medieval era.

In Scotland, the name Skinner has a particularly strong association with the town of Montrose in Angus. Many historic records, such as the Register of the Great Seal of Scotland, mention Skinners from Montrose, suggesting that the trade was well-established in that region.

Renowned individuals with the surname Skinner include John Skinner (1721-1807), a Scottish Episcopal bishop and poet. Another notable figure was Quentin Skinner (1940-2017), a renowned British historian and academic, who made significant contributions to the study of political thought.

Thomas Skinner (1804-1877) was an English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Boston. In the United States, Otis Skinner (1858-1942) was a prominent actor and playwright, known for his performances in various Shakespeare productions.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Skinner in America is that of Parson Thomas Skinner, who arrived in Boston in 1636 and became a prominent minister in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. He was also involved in the founding of Harvard College.

The surname Skinner has a rich history rooted in the medieval trade of skins and hides, reflecting the importance of this craft in the past. While its origins are occupational, the name has been carried by notable individuals across various fields throughout the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Skinner families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Skinner 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 1,993 Skinners recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.34x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 1,993 1.34x
Kent 1,666 3.29x
Surrey 1,488 2.06x
Devon 1,434 4.65x
Sussex 747 2.99x
Yorkshire 525 0.36x
Gloucestershire 468 1.61x
Ross-shire 429 10.54x
Aberdeenshire 418 3.04x
Lancashire 409 0.23x
Lincolnshire 361 1.52x
Fife 312 3.55x
Cornwall 311 1.85x
Warwickshire 264 0.71x
Essex 263 0.90x
Somerset 243 1.02x
Midlothian 230 1.16x
Nottinghamshire 218 1.09x
Lanarkshire 216 0.45x
Worcestershire 205 1.06x
Northamptonshire 204 1.46x
Wiltshire 162 1.24x
Cambridgeshire 160 1.70x
Hertfordshire 159 1.56x
Leicestershire 158 0.96x
Norfolk 157 0.69x
Durham 147 0.33x
Hampshire 145 0.48x
Suffolk 138 0.76x
Berkshire 125 1.12x
Dorset 121 1.24x
Staffordshire 92 0.18x
Angus 86 0.63x
Glamorgan 81 0.31x
Cumberland 80 0.63x
Banffshire 75 2.44x
Cheshire 74 0.23x
Derbyshire 66 0.28x
Bedfordshire 63 0.82x
Oxfordshire 54 0.59x
Monmouthshire 51 0.48x
Caithness 48 2.36x
Perthshire 45 0.68x
Huntingdonshire 44 1.49x
Northumberland 39 0.18x
Isle of Man 38 1.38x
Herefordshire 32 0.53x
Inverness-shire 31 0.70x
Renfrewshire 29 0.25x
Royal Navy 29 1.64x
Pembrokeshire 24 0.51x
Dunbartonshire 20 0.50x
Orkney 17 1.04x
Buckinghamshire 16 0.18x
Channel Islands 14 0.32x
Morayshire 14 0.61x
Sutherland 14 1.23x
Kincardineshire 13 0.72x
Argyllshire 12 0.29x
Dumfriesshire 12 0.37x
Shropshire 12 0.09x
Ayrshire 10 0.09x
Kinross-shire 10 2.67x
Kirkcudbrightshire 9 0.42x
Stirlingshire 9 0.16x
Wigtownshire 9 0.46x
Flintshire 7 0.18x
West Lothian 7 0.31x
East Lothian 6 0.31x
Berwickshire 5 0.28x
Brecknockshire 5 0.17x
Buteshire 4 0.45x
Roxburghshire 4 0.15x
Cardiganshire 3 0.08x
Rutland 3 0.28x
Nairnshire 2 0.44x
Radnorshire 2 0.17x
Anglesey 1 0.04x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.02x
Denbighshire 1 0.02x

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 198 Skinners recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.53x.

Place Total Index
Lambeth 198 1.53x
St Pancras London 194 1.63x
Camberwell 192 2.03x
Islington London 167 1.16x
Tonbridge 153 8.38x
Fearn 122 112.47x
Shoreditch London 122 1.90x
Croydon 121 3.02x
Hackney London 121 1.46x
Aston 115 1.12x
Newington 115 2.10x
Aberdeen Old Machar 108 3.77x
Bethnal Green London 108 1.68x
St Marylebone London 106 1.34x
Cromarty 101 92.68x
Battersea 98 1.80x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 98 1.23x
Plymouth St Andrew 96 4.04x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 95 3.70x
Kensington London 94 1.14x
Bermondsey 87 1.97x
West Ham 87 1.35x
Tormoham 81 6.20x
Lingfield 79 56.11x
Birmingham 77 0.62x
Mile End Old Town 76 3.25x
Cheltenham 75 3.34x
Govan 75 0.63x
Lewisham 74 2.74x
Paddington London 74 1.36x
Deptford St Paul 69 1.77x
Woolwich 68 3.64x
Tain 67 43.43x
Tarbat 66 68.58x
St George Hanover 65 3.36x
Sheffield 61 1.30x
Ashford 60 12.18x
Barony 60 0.49x
Brighton 59 1.17x
Nottingham St Mary 59 1.14x
Stoke Damerel 59 2.73x
Falmouth 54 9.09x
Dysart 53 8.97x
Plymouth Charles The 53 3.90x
Chittlehampton 49 64.36x
Ecclesall Bierlow 49 1.64x
Greenwich 49 2.08x
Portsea 49 0.82x
Clerkenwell London 48 1.37x
Epsom 48 13.63x
Chatham 47 3.38x
Chelsea London 47 1.05x
Everton 45 0.80x
Hammersmith London 44 1.20x
Stroud 43 7.60x
Tiverton 41 7.71x
Fulham London 40 1.86x
Chorlton On Medlock 39 1.40x
Southwark St George Martyr 39 1.31x
Bishopwearmouth 38 1.00x
Bow London 38 2.01x
Bromley London 38 1.16x
Deal 38 8.81x
Glasgow 38 0.45x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 36 1.31x
Nigg 36 70.57x
Walcot 36 2.83x
Boston 35 4.87x
Pluckley 35 74.71x
Poplar London 35 1.25x
Rushden 35 18.76x
Scunthorpe 35 32.82x
St Luke London 35 1.47x
Godstone 34 26.27x
Sevenoaks 34 8.29x
Thurso 34 10.74x
Wandsworth 34 2.38x
South Leith 33 1.48x
Stoke Newington London 33 2.86x
Lee 32 4.36x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 843
Elizabeth 505
Sarah 414
Eliza 235
Ellen 221
Ann 216
Jane 213
Alice 204
Emma 203
Emily 192
Annie 171
Louisa 130
Caroline 106
Florence 104
Maria 97
Fanny 94
Charlotte 93
Edith 92
Kate 85
Harriet 84
Martha 82
Hannah 78
Margaret 75
Ada 66
Clara 66
Frances 64
Harriett 62
Susan 62
Rose 59
Catherine 51
Agnes 49
Amelia 48
Anne 48
Sophia 45
Jessie 41
Lucy 41
Isabella 38
Matilda 35
Julia 34
Amy 33
Eleanor 28
Esther 28
Anna 26
Bessie 26
Ethel 26
Maud 26
Minnie 25
Bertha 24
Grace 24
Rebecca 23

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 894
John 662
George 508
James 386
Thomas 376
Henry 343
Charles 278
Alfred 180
Frederick 172
Joseph 167
Edward 162
Richard 139
Arthur 137
Robert 125
Walter 119
Samuel 106
Albert 100
Harry 92
Frank 65
Ernest 60
Herbert 56
Wm. 43
Edwin 42
Francis 38
Fred 35
Stephen 34
David 28
Benjamin 27
Alexander 26
Isaac 23
Thos. 23
Fredrick 21
Percy 21
Sydney 20
Edmund 19
Geo. 18
Fredk. 17
Daniel 16
Jesse 16
Philip 15
Sidney 15
Andrew 14
Tom 14
Willm. 12
Christopher 10
Aaron 9
Abel 9
Abraham 9
Leonard 9
Mark 9

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 Skinner households.

FAQ

Skinner surname: questions and answers

How common was the Skinner surname in 1881?

In 1881, 15,141 people were recorded with the Skinner surname. That placed it at #261 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Skinner surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 17,936 in 2016. That gives Skinner a modern rank of #336.

What does the Skinner surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to someone who skinned animals for their hides or pelts.

What does the Skinner map show?

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