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

Skerry, 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 Skerry surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Skerry in America

Skerry is the 63373rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Skerry surname appeared 315 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 Skerry.

We can also compare 2010 data for Skerry 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 Skerry

The surname Skerry is of Scottish origin and can be traced back to the 15th century. It is derived from the Scots word "skerry," which refers to a small, rocky island or reef. This name likely originated from someone who lived near or on such an island or reef.

The earliest known record of the name appears in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in 1456, where a John Skery is mentioned. In the 16th century, the name was also recorded in various spellings such as Skeray, Scary, and Skerray.

One notable historical figure with the surname Skerry was William Skerry, a Scottish minister who lived in the 17th century. He was born in Aberdeenshire in 1627 and served as the minister of Grange parish from 1661 until his death in 1692.

Another individual of note was John Skerry, a Scottish merchant and politician who lived in the 18th century. He was born in Edinburgh in 1715 and served as a member of the British Parliament for the Stirling Burghs from 1768 to 1774.

In the 19th century, the name Skerry was associated with several notable figures. One was Robert Skerry, a Scottish poet and novelist who was born in Banffshire in 1809. He wrote several works, including "The Poet's Dream" and "The Life and Times of Robert Burns."

Another notable 19th-century figure was Mary Skerry, a Scottish educator and women's rights advocate. She was born in Inverness in 1838 and founded the Skerry School for Girls in Edinburgh, which provided education for women at a time when opportunities were limited.

The name Skerry has also been associated with several place names in Scotland, such as Skerry Burn in Aberdeenshire and Skerry Brae in the Shetland Islands. These place names likely derive from the same Scottish word that gave rise to the surname.

While the surname Skerry is not as common as some other Scottish names, it has a rich history and has been borne by several notable individuals throughout the centuries. Its origins in the rugged Scottish landscape and association with small islands and reefs add to its distinct character.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Skerry

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

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

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

Reference this page

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!