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

Skeen, 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 Skeen surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Skeen in America

Skeen is the 6378th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Skeen surname appeared 5,338 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Skeen.

We can also compare 2010 data for Skeen 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 Skeen

The surname Skeen has its origins in Scotland, emerging in the 14th century. It is derived from the Gaelic word "sgian," which means "knife" or "dagger," suggesting a connection to a profession or ancestral trade involving blades or weapons.

The name was concentrated in the Highlands of Scotland, particularly in areas like Perthshire and Inverness-shire. It appeared in several variations, such as Skeyn, Skene, and Skeyne, reflecting the fluidity of spelling conventions in earlier times.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from 1363, which mention a John Skene receiving payment for services rendered to the Crown. Another notable early reference is in the Breviarium Aberdonense, a 15th-century Scottish ecclesiastical manuscript, where a Willelmus Skene is listed among the cathedral clergy.

The Skeen surname gained prominence through several notable individuals throughout history. Sir John Skene (1543-1617) was a renowned Scottish jurist and Lord Clerk Register, responsible for compiling and publishing the ancient laws of Scotland. Robert Skene (1619-1633) was a Scottish minister and author of a work titled "A Breif Descriptioun of the Isles of Scotland."

In the 17th century, James Skene (1633-1681), a Scottish merchant and landowner, acquired the estate of Newtyle in Angus, establishing a lineage of the Skene family in that region. Andrew Skene (1784-1838), a descendant of this line, became a prominent lawyer and served as Lord Provost of Aberdeen.

Another notable figure was Ralph Skene (1807-1867), a Scottish civil engineer who made significant contributions to the construction of railways and bridges in India during the British Raj era.

While the Skeen surname originated in Scotland, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and diasporas, with bearers of the name found in various countries, including the United States, Canada, and Australia.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Skeen

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

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 Skeen 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 Skeen 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 Skeen was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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