2000
#1,876
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 17,569
First available Census row
Per 100,000 6.51
Uncommon Last name
Skaggs
An English occupational surname for someone who played tricks or jests, derived from the Scandinavian word "skakke" meaning crooked.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 19,273 Americans carry the last name Skaggs. That puts it at #2,091 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 5.62 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 17,784 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Skaggs 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.
Bearers in the US
19K
1 in 17,784
Census rank
#2,091
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
5.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
17K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 16,807 bearers of the surname Skaggs in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 5.62 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2091st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Skaggs, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Skaggs
The surname Skaggs has its origins in England, originating sometime during the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "sceacga," which means "shaw" or "small wood." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a small wooded area or grove.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Skaggs can be traced back to the 13th century. In the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, there is a reference to a William de la Shawe, which is likely an early spelling variant of the surname. The Domesday Book, the great survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any direct mentions of the name Skaggs, but it does list individuals with similar surnames derived from place names, indicating the name's locational origins.
As the surname evolved over time, various spellings emerged, such as Skaggs, Scagges, Scaggs, and Skags. These variations reflect the regional dialects and pronunciation differences found across different parts of England during the Middle Ages.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Skaggs was John Skaggs, who was born in Lancashire, England, around 1480. Another notable figure was Sir William Skaggs, a prominent landowner and politician who lived in Gloucestershire in the late 16th century.
During the 17th century, the name Skaggs gained further recognition with the exploits of Captain Thomas Skaggs (1621-1689), a renowned English privateer who operated in the Caribbean Sea. His daring raids against Spanish ships and settlements earned him a place in the annals of maritime history.
Another significant figure was Sir Robert Skaggs (1619-1701), a wealthy merchant and philanthropist from Bristol, England. He made substantial contributions to the city's development and was known for his support of various charitable causes.
In the 18th century, the Reverend John Skaggs (1725-1792) gained prominence as a respected clergyman and author. His works on theology and philosophy were widely read and influential during his time.
Throughout its history, the surname Skaggs has maintained a strong presence in various regions of England, particularly in the counties of Lancashire, Gloucestershire, and Somerset. While not among the most common surnames in England, it has left a lasting mark on the country's cultural and historical tapestry.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Skaggs
Among Census respondents with the surname Skaggs, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Skaggs 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 Skaggs surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.7% · 15,068
- Two or more races4.6% · 779
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 487
- Black or African American1.5% · 252
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 131
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 90
Timeline
Historical Census data for Skaggs
Skaggs 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
#2,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 17,778
+209 bearers (+1.2%)
Per 100,000 6.03
Rank movement Down 152 places
2020
#2,091
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 16,807
-971 bearers (-5.5%)
Per 100,000 5.62
Rank movement Down 63 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,876 | 17,569 | 6.51 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,028 | 17,778 | 6.03 | +209 bearers (+1.2%) | Down 152 places |
| 2020 | #2,091 | 16,807 | 5.62 | -971 bearers (-5.5%) | Down 63 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 Skaggs 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 | #2,028 | #2,091 | -3.1% |
| Count | 17,778 | 16,807 | -5.5% |
| Per 100K | 6.03 | 5.62 | -6.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Skaggs bearers went from 17,778 to 16,807 (-5.5% change). The surname moved down 63 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,028 to #2,091.
FAQ
Skaggs surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Skaggs?
Name Census estimates that about 19,273 living Americans carry the surname Skaggs. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 17,784 residents.
How common is Skaggs?
Skaggs ranks #2,091 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 5.62 per 100,000 residents, which is about 6 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 16,807 people with the surname Skaggs. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (19,273), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 5.62 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 5.62 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 6 of them to have the surname Skaggs.
Has Skaggs become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Skaggs went from 17,778 recorded bearers to 16,807. That is a decrease of 971 (-5.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,028 to #2,091.
What does the Census say about the background of Skaggs?
Among Census respondents with the surname Skaggs, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and Hispanic (2.9%). 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 Skaggs in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.7% (15,068 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Skaggs appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.7%), Two or More Races (4.6%), Hispanic (2.9%). 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 Skaggs (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 Skaggs mean?
An English occupational surname for someone who played tricks or jests, derived from the Scandinavian word "skakke" meaning crooked. 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 Skaggs (5.62 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 have the surname Skaggs?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.