Find out how popular the last name Sheskey is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Sheskey.

Sheskey, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Sheskey surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sheskey in America

Sheskey is the 118185th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sheskey surname appeared 147 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Sheskey.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sheskey to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Sheskey

The surname SHESKEY is believed to have originated in England during the late medieval period. The name is thought to be derived from the Old English words "scēac" meaning "thicket" or "shrubbery" and "ēg" meaning "island" or "dry ground surrounded by marsh." This suggests the name may have referred to a person who lived near a thicketed area of dry land amidst marshy surroundings.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name SHESKEY appears in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1195, where a William de Scheskeye is mentioned. The spelling variation "Scheskeye" hints at the name's potential connections to the old place name "Sheskey" near Louth in Lincolnshire. In the Hundred Rolls of 1273, a John de Sheskeye is documented as holding lands in the same county.

During the 14th century, the SHESKEY name surfaced in various parts of England, including Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire. An entry in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns of 1379 lists a Thomas Sheskey, while the Nottinghamshire Borough Records from 1399 mention a Robert Sheskey.

Notable individuals bearing the SHESKEY surname include:

1. Richard Sheskey (c. 1450 - 1515), a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of York during the Tudor period.

2. Anne Sheskey (b. 1602), one of the earliest settlers in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, arriving in 1635 from Stratford-upon-Avon.

3. John Sheskey (1712 - 1786), a successful wool merchant and landowner in Gloucestershire, known for his philanthropic efforts in supporting local schools and churches.

4. Elizabeth Sheskey (1795 - 1872), an accomplished author and poet from Derbyshire, whose works were widely published in literary magazines of the time.

5. Sir William Sheskey (1832 - 1904), a renowned British army officer who served in the Crimean War and the Indian Rebellion of 1857, later becoming the Governor of Gibraltar.

As the SHESKEY name spread across England and into other parts of the British Isles, various spelling variations emerged, such as Sheskay, Sheskey, and Sheskaye, reflecting regional differences in pronunciation and record-keeping practices.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sheskey

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Sheskey.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Sheskey was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Sheskey has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Sheskey was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Sheskey, please contact us.

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