Find out how popular the last name Skerritt is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Skerritt.
An anglicized variant of Irish surnames derived from the Gaelic words "scoraich" meaning "to rise up" or "to ascend".
Skerritt, 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 Skerritt surname is from the 2010 census data.
Skerritt is the 45347th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The Skerritt surname appeared 472 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Skerritt.
We can also compare 2010 data for Skerritt 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.
2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
---|---|---|---|
Rank | 45347 | 45829 | -1.06% |
Count | 472 | 439 | 7.24% |
Proportion per 100k | 0.16 | 0.16 | 0.00% |
The surname Skerritt originated in England, tracing its roots back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "scearra" and "hythe," which collectively translate to "scarred haven" or "rocky landing place." This suggests that the name may have initially been applied to someone who lived near a distinctive coastal feature or a harbor with unique geological formations.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Skerritt name appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire from 1297, where it is spelled as "Skerith." This variation in spelling was common during that era, as naming conventions were not standardized until much later. The name also appeared in various other historical records, such as the Pipe Rolls of Nottinghamshire from 1332, where it was written as "Skerryt."
In the 15th century, the surname Skerritt was associated with several notable individuals. One such person was John Skerritt, a merchant and landowner from Lincolnshire, who was mentioned in the Court Rolls of 1472. Another individual of note was William Skerritt, a clergyman who served as the vicar of St. Mary's Church in Nottingham from 1487 until his death in 1513.
As the centuries passed, the Skerritt name continued to appear in various historical records and documents. In the 16th century, there was a Thomas Skerritt, a farmer from Yorkshire, who was mentioned in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1545. Additionally, the Skerritt family had a presence in the county of Derbyshire, where a Richard Skerritt was recorded as a landowner in the Hearth Tax Returns of 1674.
Moving into the 17th and 18th centuries, the Skerritt name gained further prominence. One notable figure was Captain John Skerritt, a British naval officer who served during the Seven Years' War and is recorded as having participated in the Battle of Quiberon Bay in 1759. Another individual of note was Elizabeth Skerritt, who was born in 1698 in Staffordshire and is considered one of the earliest known female authors and poets from that region.
During the 19th century, the Skerritt name continued to be represented in various walks of life. One example is William Skerritt, a successful merchant and philanthropist from Liverpool, who was born in 1812 and made significant contributions to the city's charitable institutions. Additionally, there was a Thomas Skerritt, born in 1845 in Derbyshire, who became a renowned architect and designed several notable buildings in the region.
Throughout its long history, the surname Skerritt has been associated with individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions, reflecting the rich tapestry of English heritage and the enduring legacy of this ancient name.
We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Skerritt.
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:
For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Skerritt was:
Race/Ethnicity | Percentage | Total Occurrences |
---|---|---|
Non-Hispanic White Only | 57.20% | 270 |
Non-Hispanic Black Only | 34.32% | 162 |
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only | (S)% | (S) |
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native | (S)% | (S) |
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races | 2.12% | 10 |
Hispanic Origin | 6.14% | 29 |
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 Skerritt has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.
2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
---|---|---|---|
White | 57.20% | 61.05% | -6.51% |
Black | 34.32% | 29.84% | 13.97% |
Asian and Pacific Islander | (S)% | 0.00% | (S)% |
American Indian and Alaskan Native | (S)% | 0.00% | (S)% |
Two or More Races | 2.12% | 5.01% | -81.07% |
Hispanic | 6.14% | 4.10% | 39.84% |
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 Skerritt was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.
If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Skerritt, please contact us.
We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.
If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!
<a href="http://namecensus.com/last-names/skerritt-surname-popularity/">Skerritt last name popularity, history, and meaning</a>
"Skerritt last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on April 25, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/skerritt-surname-popularity/.
"Skerritt last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/skerritt-surname-popularity/. Accessed 25 April, 2025
Skerritt last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/skerritt-surname-popularity/.
Search for a first or last name to learn more about its origin, meaning, and more.
Simple as that.