2000
#144,908
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Skedel
A habitational surname derived from a place name referring to a dwelling sheltered from wind.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Skedel. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Skedel 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Skedel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Skedel, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.7%. The next largest groups are Black (1.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Skedel
The surname SKEDEL is believed to have originated in Germany, with its earliest known records dating back to the 16th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old German word "skadel," which means "small boat" or "skiff." This suggests that the name may have initially been given to individuals who worked as boatmen or ferrymen.
One of the earliest documented references to the SKEDEL surname can be found in the parish records of Heidelberg, Germany, where a Johann Skedel was mentioned in 1562. Another early record comes from the town of Mainz, where a family by the name of Skedel was recorded in the late 16th century.
In the 17th century, the SKEDEL name appeared in various regions of Germany, including Bavaria and Saxony. During this time, the spelling of the name varied slightly, with variations such as "Schedel," "Skedel," and "Schedl" being used interchangeably.
Notable individuals with the SKEDEL surname include Hans Skedel (1572-1634), a German merchant and landowner from Augsburg, and Gerhard Skedel (1612-1677), a renowned theologian and author from Leipzig.
As the SKEDEL family spread across Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries, the name also appeared in other countries. For example, in the Netherlands, there was a record of a Willem Skedel, born in 1789, who was a successful businessman in Amsterdam.
Another notable figure was Karl Skedel (1820-1892), an Austrian-born painter and illustrator who gained recognition for his landscapes and portraiture. His works can be found in several art museums across Europe.
In the United Kingdom, the SKEDEL name can be traced back to the late 19th century, with records showing a family of that name residing in London. One prominent figure was Edward Skedel (1865-1942), a British journalist and author who wrote extensively on political and social issues of his time.
While the SKEDEL surname may not be as common today as it once was, its rich history and diverse geographical spread across Europe and beyond serve as a testament to its enduring legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Skedel
Among Census respondents with the surname Skedel, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.7%. The next largest groups are Black (1.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Skedel 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 Skedel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.7% · 112
- Black or African American1.7% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Skedel
Skedel 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
#160,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
-5 bearers (-4.8%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 16,067 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+17 bearers (+17.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 16,705 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #144,908 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #160,975 | 100 | 0.03 | -5 bearers (-4.8%) | Down 16,067 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | +17 bearers (+17.0%) | Up 16,705 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 Skedel 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 | #160,975 | #144,270 | 10.4% |
| Count | 100 | 117 | 17.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 30.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Skedel bearers went from 100 to 117 (+17.0% change). The surname moved up 16,705 positions in the national ranking, going from #160,975 to #144,270.
FAQ
Skedel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Skedel?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Skedel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Skedel?
Skedel ranks #144,270 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 117 people with the surname Skedel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), 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 Skedel.
Has Skedel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Skedel went from 100 recorded bearers to 117. That is an increase of 17 (+17.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #160,975 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Skedel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Skedel, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.7%. The next largest groups are Black (1.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). 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 Skedel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.7% (112 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Skedel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.7%), Black (1.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). 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 Skedel (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 Skedel mean?
A habitational surname derived from a place name referring to a dwelling sheltered from wind. 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 Skedel (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 Americans have the surname Skedel?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.