NameCensus.

UK surname

Skitt

A surname potentially derived from Old Norse "skítr," meaning dirt or filth.

In the 1881 census there were 395 people recorded with the Skitt surname, ranking it #8,037 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 709, ranked #7,637, up from #8,037 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolverhampton, Madeley and Rowley Regis. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Telford and Wrekin, Wolverhampton and Shropshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Skitt is 740 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 79.5%.

1881 census count

395

Ranked #8,037

Modern count

709

2016, ranked #7,637

Peak year

2010

740 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Skitt had 395 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,037 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 709 in 2016, ranked #7,637.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 620 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Skitt surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Skitt surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Skitt 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 163 #12,156
1861 historical 192 #12,423
1881 historical 395 #8,037
1891 historical 374 #9,343
1901 historical 503 #8,015
1911 historical 620 #6,668
1997 modern 711 #7,165
1998 modern 736 #7,212
1999 modern 723 #7,342
2000 modern 721 #7,339
2001 modern 713 #7,263
2002 modern 718 #7,363
2003 modern 695 #7,421
2004 modern 709 #7,320
2005 modern 712 #7,229
2006 modern 719 #7,210
2007 modern 717 #7,294
2008 modern 717 #7,349
2009 modern 729 #7,401
2010 modern 740 #7,448
2011 modern 715 #7,570
2012 modern 694 #7,659
2013 modern 707 #7,673
2014 modern 714 #7,654
2015 modern 719 #7,568
2016 modern 709 #7,637

Geography

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Where Skitts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolverhampton, Madeley, Rowley Regis and Castleford. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Telford and Wrekin, Wolverhampton, Shropshire and Barnsley. 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 Wolverhampton Staffordshire
2 Madeley Shropshire
3 Rowley Regis Staffordshire
4 Castleford Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Telford and Wrekin 020 Telford and Wrekin
2 Wolverhampton 003 Wolverhampton
3 Shropshire 001 Shropshire
4 Barnsley 025 Barnsley
5 Telford and Wrekin 016 Telford and Wrekin

Forenames

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First names often paired with Skitt

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Skitt

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Skitt, 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 Skitt surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Skitt household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

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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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Skitt is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Skitt 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

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

Meaning and origin of Skitt

The surname Skitt has its origins in England, predominantly found in the midlands and northern regions. It is derived from the Old Norse word "skyt," meaning "archer" or "shooter," and entered the English lexicon during the Viking invasions of the 8th to 11th centuries. This surname is most commonly associated with medieval bowmen, indicating the occupational origins of the name.

The first recording of the Skitt surname can be traced back to the 13th century when surnames began to be more systematically used for identification. A notable early reference was found in the Yorkshire Poll Tax records of 1379, where a John Skytte was documented. This early reference supports the occupational angle of the surname, implying its bearer was likely a local bowman or someone skilled with a crossbow.

In the historical records, the name appears in various spellings such as Skyt, Skytte, and Skittes, reflecting the fluidity of medieval orthography. The Domesday Book of 1086, although primarily focused on land holdings and not personal names, contains similar occupational terminologies that indirectly allude to the kind of individuals who might have borne the name Skitt in its earlier forms.

Among the earliest notable bearers of the surname was Richard Skitt, born around 1490 in Staffordshire, a county known for its medieval archer traditions. Another significant figure was Thomas Skitt, recorded in church documents in Cheshire in the early 1500s, a period when parish records had started to become more routine. Humphrey Skitt, born in the late 16th century in Shropshire, was an influential farmer whose family records were preserved in local manorial documents.

Through the centuries, the surname Skitt was also linked to various place names. For example, Skytland in Cheshire hints at a settlement where archers or shooters might have been prevalent. Historical records from the 17th century frequently mention locales like Skittle Green and Skitts Wood, which further attest to the name's geographical spread and occupational roots.

In the realm of more famous individuals, the 19th century saw Henry Skitt, born in 1823, who became a well-known local businessman in Derbyshire. Another notable figure was Mary Ann Skitt, a suffrage activist born in 1847, who contributed significantly to the women’s suffrage movement in England.

Thus, the surname Skitt encapsulates a rich history tied to England's medieval period, reflecting both an occupational role and a link to specific geographic regions. Its bearers, noted in various historical records, indicate its descent from Norse origins and its subsequent entrenchment in English cultural and occupational identity.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Skitt families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Skitt 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. Shropshire leads with 118 Skitts recorded in 1881 and an index of 35.45x.

County Total Index
Shropshire 118 35.45x
Staffordshire 97 7.46x
Lancashire 44 0.96x
Yorkshire 41 1.07x
Cheshire 34 4.00x
Flintshire 24 23.17x
Warwickshire 16 1.65x
Middlesex 5 0.13x
Cumberland 4 1.21x
Surrey 4 0.21x
Worcestershire 4 0.80x
Durham 1 0.09x
Hertfordshire 1 0.38x
Northamptonshire 1 0.28x
Sussex 1 0.15x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Madeley in Shropshire leads with 46 Skitts recorded in 1881 and an index of 376.74x.

Place Total Index
Madeley 46 376.74x
Willenhall 18 73.89x
Bilston 17 67.43x
Wolverhampton 16 16.00x
Rowley Regis 13 35.87x
Wem 13 262.63x
Hanmer Willington 12 2857.14x
Everton 11 7.55x
Hoyland Nether 10 106.84x
Whitchurch 10 154.80x
Stockport 9 20.56x
Hanmer Halghton 8 1481.48x
Prees 8 197.53x
Wolstanton Knutton 8 100.76x
Aston 7 2.62x
Birmingham 7 2.16x
Hyde 7 27.89x
Manchester 7 3.40x
Shrewsbury St Julian 7 84.95x
Whitwood 7 129.15x
Chorlton On Medlock 6 8.26x
Garston 6 44.48x
Preston 6 4.91x
Shrewsbury St Chad 6 51.37x
Shrewsbury St Mary 6 45.70x
Stoke Upon Trent 6 4.35x
Birkenhead 5 7.37x
Bradford 5 5.41x
Leeds 5 2.32x
Liverpool 5 1.80x
Morley 5 25.19x
West Bromwich 5 6.72x
Balterley 4 1142.86x
Broseley 4 67.57x
Islington London 4 1.07x
Kings Norton 4 8.87x
Much Wenlock 4 130.29x
Soothill 4 29.01x
Threlkeld 4 727.27x
Whittington 4 143.37x
Wrenbury Cum Frith 4 597.01x
Burslem 3 8.05x
Hanmer 3 375.00x
Lambeth 3 0.89x
Wolstanton Chesterton 3 45.11x
Wrockwardine 3 40.98x
Darfield 2 57.47x
Dawley 2 16.52x
Kimberworth 2 9.44x
Tugford 2 1333.33x
Wednesbury 2 6.15x
Bridgnorth St Leonard 1 26.53x
Bronington 1 112.36x
Broomhall 1 588.24x
Castleford 1 7.19x
Cheadle 1 16.00x
Church Coppenhall 1 26.32x
Coulsdon 1 29.33x
Darlaston 1 5.56x
Darlington 1 2.26x
Edgbaston 1 3.32x
Ellesmere 1 17.51x
Hackney London 1 0.46x
Hastings St Mary 1 6.18x
High Leigh 1 89.29x
Hulme 1 1.05x
Lymm 1 16.18x
Macclesfield 1 2.65x
Nantwich 1 10.12x
Newton 1 2.84x
Norley 1 104.17x
Northampton Priory St 1 4.60x
Poulton Cum Seacombe 1 10.22x
Scotforth 1 33.67x
Shawbury 1 78.13x
Upton In Chester 1 105.26x
Warwick St Mary 1 11.85x
Watford 1 4.86x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 34
Sarah 20
Elizabeth 19
Jane 16
Emma 9
Harriet 8
Ann 7
Eliza 6
Annie 5
Hannah 5
Alice 4
Ellen 4
Louisa 4
Martha 4
Catherine 3
Agnes 2
Anne 2
Caroline 2
Fanny 2
Harriett 2
Margaret 2
Rositta 2
Sophia 2
Ada 1
Amy 1
Betsy 1
Christanna 1
Clara 1
Edith 1
Eleanor 1
Elizh. 1
Emily 1
F. 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
Hariot 1
Henrietta 1
Julia 1
Lilly 1
Lizzie 1
Lucy 1
M.A. 1
Mabel 1
Maria 1
Mathia 1
Robina 1
Rosanna 1
Ruth 1
Susanh 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Thomas 26
John 25
William 25
Henry 13
Joseph 13
James 12
George 10
Charles 7
Edward 7
Samuel 7
Albert 4
Noah 4
Richard 4
Alfred 3
Francis 3
Arthur 2
Benjamin 2
Elias 2
Enoch 2
Fredrick 2
Harry 2
Saml. 2
Wm. 2
Christopher 1
David 1
Edmund 1
Edwin 1
Frank 1
Fred 1
Frederick 1
Geo. 1
Henery 1
Herbert 1
Hurbert 1
J.H. 1
Jeremiah 1
Jonathan 1
Luz 1
Philip 1
Robert 1
S.B. 1
Sarah 1
Thos. 1
Tom 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Skitt surname: questions and answers

How common was the Skitt surname in 1881?

In 1881, 395 people were recorded with the Skitt surname. That placed it at #8,037 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Skitt surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 709 in 2016. That gives Skitt a modern rank of #7,637.

What does the Skitt surname mean?

A surname potentially derived from Old Norse "skítr," meaning dirt or filth.

What does the Skitt map show?

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