2000
#13,548
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,056
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.76
Rare Last name
Scull
An occupational surname referring to a person who operated a small boat or ferry.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,163 Americans carry the last name Scull. That puts it at #15,037 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.63 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 158,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Scull surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Scull with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.2K
1 in 158,462
Census rank
#15,037
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,886 bearers of the surname Scull in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.63 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15037th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Scull, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.7%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Scull
The surname Scull is of English origin, with roots dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "sculan," which means "to skulk" or "to lurk." This suggests that the name may have been initially applied to someone who was known for being elusive or stealthy.
In its earliest form, the name was spelled as "Sculle" or "Sculd," as evidenced by entries in the Domesday Book of 1086, which recorded landholders and their holdings in England. The Domesday Book mentions a landowner named Alwin Sculd in Oxfordshire, indicating the presence of this surname in the late 11th century.
As the name evolved over time, various spellings emerged, including Scull, Skull, Sculle, and Scolle. These variations reflected regional dialects and phonetic adaptations. One notable bearer of the name was John Scull, a English merchant and explorer who lived in the late 16th century. He is best known for his voyages to the New World, where he established trading posts along the coast of what is now Virginia.
Another historical figure with the surname Scull was Nicholas Scull, a surveyor and cartographer born in 1686 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is renowned for his detailed maps of the American colonies, particularly his "Map of Pennsylvania" published in 1759, which was widely used during the colonial era.
In the literary realm, Sir John Scull (1598-1669) was an English dramatist and poet who gained recognition for his plays and poetry during the Jacobean and Caroline eras. His works, such as "The Lover's Melancholy" and "The Honour of the Gentry," were popular among audiences of the time.
Another notable bearer of the Scull surname was Elizabeth Scull (1776-1859), an English portrait painter and miniaturist. Her portraits of prominent figures, including members of the British royal family, were highly acclaimed during the Georgian and Regency periods.
Moving forward in time, Sir John Nigel Scull (1888-1957) was a British military officer who served in World War I and later became a successful businessman and philanthropist. He was knighted for his contributions to industry and his charitable endeavors.
These are just a few examples of the many individuals who have carried the surname Scull throughout history, each leaving their mark in various fields and professions. While the name's origin remains rooted in the Old English language, its bearers have made significant contributions across different eras and regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Scull
Among Census respondents with the surname Scull, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.7%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Scull bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Scull surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.1% · 1,548
- Hispanic or Latino8.7% · 164
- Two or more races4.8% · 90
- Black or African American2.9% · 55
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.3% · 24
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Scull
Scull appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#14,930
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,983
-73 bearers (-3.6%)
Per 100,000 0.67
Rank movement Down 1,382 places
2020
#15,037
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,886
-97 bearers (-4.9%)
Per 100,000 0.63
Rank movement Down 107 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,548 | 2,056 | 0.76 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,930 | 1,983 | 0.67 | -73 bearers (-3.6%) | Down 1,382 places |
| 2020 | #15,037 | 1,886 | 0.63 | -97 bearers (-4.9%) | Down 107 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Scull surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #14,930 | #15,037 | -0.7% |
| Count | 1,983 | 1,886 | -4.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.67 | 0.63 | -5.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Scull bearers went from 1,983 to 1,886 (-4.9% change). The surname moved down 107 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,930 to #15,037.
FAQ
Scull surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Scull?
Name Census estimates that about 2,163 living Americans carry the surname Scull. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 158,462 residents.
How common is Scull?
Scull ranks #15,037 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.63 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,886 people with the surname Scull. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,163), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.63 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.63 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Scull.
Has Scull become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Scull went from 1,983 recorded bearers to 1,886. That is a decrease of 97 (-4.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #14,930 to #15,037.
What does the Census say about the background of Scull?
Among Census respondents with the surname Scull, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.7%) and Two or More Races (4.8%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Scull in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.1% (1,548 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Scull appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.1%), Hispanic (8.7%), Two or More Races (4.8%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Scull (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Scull mean?
An occupational surname referring to a person who operated a small boat or ferry. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Scull (0.63 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Scull?
See how common the surname Scull is on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.