Skelton
An English occupational surname referring to a person who was thin or skeletal in appearance.
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 18,166 Americans carry the last name Skelton. That puts it at #2,330 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 5.30 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 18,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Skelton surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, 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
18K
1 in 18,868
Census rank
#2,330
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
5.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
16K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 15,624 bearers of the surname Skelton in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 5.30 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2330th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Skelton, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Black (6.2%) and Hispanic (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Skelton
The surname Skelton originates from the northern parts of England, particularly Yorkshire and Lancashire. It is an English locational surname derived from the Old English words 'scelan' meaning a shelter or temporary dwelling, and 'tun' meaning a farm or settlement. The name likely referred to someone who lived in a particular shelter or temporary dwelling.
Skelton is an ancient surname, with records dating back to the 12th century. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was William de Skelton, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1170. The Skelton family held lands in Yorkshire from a very early period, and the name is associated with several place names in the region, such as Skelton near York and Skelton in Cleveland.
The Skelton surname also appears in the famous Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The entry records a place called 'Scheltun' in Yorkshire, which is believed to be an early spelling of the name Skelton.
Over the centuries, the Skelton name has been spelled in various ways, including Skelton, Skeltone, Schelton, and Schelletun. Some notable individuals with the surname Skelton include John Skelton (c. 1460 - 1529), an English poet and tutor to King Henry VIII, and Philip Skelton (1707 - 1787), an English clergyman and writer.
Another prominent bearer of the name was Sir John Skelton (c. 1534 - 1598), an English soldier and poet who served as a commander in the English army during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. In the 17th century, Samuel Skelton (1592 - 1670) was a English-born Puritan minister who became one of the founders of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in America.
In more recent times, John Skelton (1923 - 1999) was an English comedian and actor, best known for his television comedy shows in the 1960s and 1970s. Kath Skelton (1926 - 2008) was an Australian actress and playwright, who had a successful career on stage and television.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Skelton
Among Census respondents with the surname Skelton, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Black (6.2%) and Hispanic (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Skelton bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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.
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 Skelton surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.3%
- Black or African American6.2%
- Hispanic or Latino2.1%
- Two or more races2.0%
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7%
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6%
Year on year
2000 vs 2010 Census
How has the Skelton surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2000 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,291 | #2,330 | -1.7% |
| Count | 14,542 | 15,624 | 7.4% |
| Per 100K | 5.39 | 5.30 | -1.7% |
Between the 2000 and 2010 Census, the number of Skelton bearers went from 14,542 to 15,624 (+7.4% change). The surname moved down 39 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,291 to #2,330.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Skelton
FAQ
Skelton surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Skelton?
The surname Skelton holds position #2,330 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 18,166 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 5.30 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Skelton surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Skelton, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Black (6.2%) and Hispanic (2.1%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.