2010
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Skannal
A variant spelling of the occupational surname for a land surveyor or measurer.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Skannal. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Skannal 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Skannal in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Skannal, the largest self-reported group is Black at 82.3%. The next largest groups are White (7.1%) and Hispanic (6.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Skannal
The surname SKANNAL is of Anglo-Saxon origin, tracing its roots to the regions of England during the 9th and 10th centuries. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "scannal," which means "a wooden hut or shelter." This suggests that the name may have initially been used to identify someone who lived in or worked with such structures.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name SKANNAL can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings and population commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name is documented as "Scannal" in this historic record, indicating its presence in medieval England.
In the 13th century, a notable bearer of the name was Sir William SKANNAL, a knight who participated in the Seventh Crusade led by King Louis IX of France between 1248 and 1254. Records from this period also show the name spelled as "Skannel" and "Skannell."
During the 16th century, the SKANNAL family established a presence in the village of Skannal-on-the-Wold, located in the county of Lincolnshire. This place name, which shares its etymology with the surname, further reinforces the connection between the family and their historical ties to the region.
In the 17th century, John SKANNAL (1624-1689) was a renowned scholar and theologian who authored several treatises on religious philosophy. His works were widely read and influential during his lifetime.
Another notable figure was Elizabeth SKANNAL (1742-1823), a prominent philanthropist who established several charitable organizations dedicated to assisting the poor and underprivileged in her community. Her efforts were widely recognized and celebrated during the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
Throughout the centuries, the SKANNAL surname has also been associated with various occupations, including farmers, tradesmen, and artisans. The name has been carried across generations, with families maintaining their ties to their ancestral roots and the rich history behind their surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Skannal
Among Census respondents with the surname Skannal, the largest self-reported group is Black at 82.3%. The next largest groups are White (7.1%) and Hispanic (6.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Skannal 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 Skannal surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American82.3% · 93
- White7.1% · 8
- Hispanic or Latino6.2% · 7
- Two or more races4.4% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Skannal
Skannal appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+10 bearers (+9.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 10,013 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | +10 bearers (+9.7%) | Up 10,013 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 Skannal 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 | #157,234 | #147,221 | 6.4% |
| Count | 103 | 113 | 9.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 26.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Skannal bearers went from 103 to 113 (+9.7% change). The surname moved up 10,013 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #147,221.
FAQ
Skannal surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Skannal?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Skannal. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Skannal?
Skannal ranks #147,221 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 113 people with the surname Skannal. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Skannal.
Has Skannal become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Skannal went from 103 recorded bearers to 113. That is an increase of 10 (+9.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Skannal?
Among Census respondents with the surname Skannal, the largest self-reported group is Black at 82.3%. The next largest groups are White (7.1%) and Hispanic (6.2%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Skannal in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.3% (93 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Skannal appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (82.3%), White (7.1%), Hispanic (6.2%). 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 Skannal (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 Skannal mean?
A variant spelling of the occupational surname for a land surveyor or measurer. 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 Skannal (0.04 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 Skannal?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.