2000
#60,390
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 312
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.12
Very Rare Last name
Skerrett
A locational surname derived from a place name in England.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 497 Americans carry the last name Skerrett. That puts it at #51,869 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.14 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 689,647 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Skerrett 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Skerrett with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
497
1 in 689,647
Census rank
#51,869
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
433
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 433 bearers of the surname Skerrett in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.14 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 51869th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Skerrett, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 42.7%. The next largest groups are White (40.4%) and Black (12.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Skerrett
The surname Skerrett originated in the British Isles, specifically in England and Ireland, during the Middle Ages. It is believed to be derived from the Old Norse word "skirr," meaning "bright" or "clear," and the Old English word "hyrde," meaning "herdsman" or "shepherd." The name was likely given to someone who tended livestock in a meadow or bright, open field.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Skerrett can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Scirret." This suggests that the name was already in use by the time of the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.
In the 13th century, a William Skerrett was recorded as a landowner in the county of Somerset, England. This indicates that the family had established itself and gained a certain degree of prominence by that time.
The name Skerrett has also been associated with various place names throughout the British Isles, such as Skerrett's Park in County Kildare, Ireland, and Skerrett's Hill in Somerset, England. These place names likely emerged from individuals bearing the surname Skerrett who owned or resided in those areas.
One notable bearer of the Skerrett surname was Sir John Skerrett (1593-1668), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Somerset during the reign of King Charles I. He played a significant role in the English Civil War, initially supporting the Royalist cause but later switching sides to support the Parliamentarians.
Another prominent figure with the surname Skerrett was Sir Thomas Skerrett (1801-1886), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812. He achieved the rank of Admiral and was knighted for his distinguished service.
In the 18th century, a John Skerrett (1745-1820) was a prominent merchant and landowner in County Cork, Ireland. He was known for his extensive business dealings and his involvement in local politics.
The Skerrett family also had a notable presence in Scotland, where a William Skerrett (1760-1842) was a successful banker and philanthropist in Edinburgh. He was instrumental in establishing several charitable institutions in the city.
Another Scottish bearer of the surname was Sir Alexander Skerrett (1818-1892), a prominent lawyer and judge who served as Lord Advocate, the highest legal officer in Scotland, from 1876 to 1880.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Skerrett
Among Census respondents with the surname Skerrett, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 42.7%. The next largest groups are White (40.4%) and Black (12.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Skerrett 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 Skerrett surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino42.7% · 185
- White40.4% · 175
- Black or African American12.5% · 54
- Two or more races3.5% · 15
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Skerrett
Skerrett 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
#78,040
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 245
-67 bearers (-21.5%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Down 17,650 places
2020
#51,869
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 433
+188 bearers (+76.7%)
Per 100,000 0.14
Rank movement Up 26,171 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #60,390 | 312 | 0.12 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #78,040 | 245 | 0.08 | -67 bearers (-21.5%) | Down 17,650 places |
| 2020 | #51,869 | 433 | 0.14 | +188 bearers (+76.7%) | Up 26,171 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 Skerrett 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 | #78,040 | #51,869 | 33.5% |
| Count | 245 | 433 | 76.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.08 | 0.14 | 81.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Skerrett bearers went from 245 to 433 (+76.7% change). The surname moved up 26,171 positions in the national ranking, going from #78,040 to #51,869.
FAQ
Skerrett surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Skerrett?
Name Census estimates that about 497 living Americans carry the surname Skerrett. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 689,647 residents.
How common is Skerrett?
Skerrett ranks #51,869 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.14 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 433 people with the surname Skerrett. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (497), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.14 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.14 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 Skerrett.
Has Skerrett become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Skerrett went from 245 recorded bearers to 433. That is an increase of 188 (+76.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #78,040 to #51,869.
What does the Census say about the background of Skerrett?
Among Census respondents with the surname Skerrett, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 42.7%. The next largest groups are White (40.4%) and Black (12.5%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Skerrett in the 2020 Census, accounting for 42.7% (185 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Skerrett appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (42.7%), White (40.4%), Black (12.5%). 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 Skerrett (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 Skerrett mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name in England. 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 Skerrett (0.14 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 Skerrett?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.