2000
#143,847
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Skevington
A habitational name denoting someone from a place called Skevington.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Skevington. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Skevington 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 Skevington with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Skevington in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Skevington, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Black (3.4%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Skevington
The surname Skevington has its origins in England, tracing back to the medieval period. It is believed to have been derived from the Old English word "sceafa," which means "sheaf" or "bundle of grain." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who worked with or dealt in sheaves of grain, such as a farmer or a thresher.
The name is also closely tied to the village of Skevington in Leicestershire, England. It is thought that the name may have originated from this particular location, with early bearers taking the name to identify themselves as being from Skevington. Records indicate that the name was spelled in various ways throughout history, including Skevyngton, Skevynton, and Skeventon.
One of the earliest known references to the name Skevington can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation commissioned by William the Conqueror. This record suggests that the name had already been established by the late 11th century.
In the 13th century, a prominent individual named John de Skevington was recorded as holding land in Leicestershire. This early record provides further evidence of the name's longstanding association with the region.
During the 14th and 15th centuries, several individuals bearing the Skevington name held positions of note. In 1349, a Thomas Skevington was appointed as the Rector of Hinckley in Leicestershire. Additionally, a William Skevington served as the Mayor of Leicester in 1469.
Moving into the 16th century, a noteworthy figure named Thomas Skevington (1497-1533) gained recognition as a Catholic martyr. He was executed in 1533 for refusing to acknowledge King Henry VIII as the supreme head of the Church of England.
Another prominent individual with the Skevington surname was Sir William Skevington (1556-1628), who served as a member of Parliament and held the position of Lord Lieutenant of Leicestershire.
As the centuries progressed, the Skevington name continued to be found in various regions of England, with individuals bearing the name contributing to various fields, including politics, religion, and local governance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Skevington
Among Census respondents with the surname Skevington, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Black (3.4%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Skevington 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 Skevington surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.6% · 109
- Black or African American3.4% · 4
- Two or more races2.5% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino0.8% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Skevington
Skevington 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
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+4 bearers (+3.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,548 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
+9 bearers (+8.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 6,607 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #143,847 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.8%) | Down 5,548 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+8.2%) | Up 6,607 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 Skevington 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 | #149,395 | #142,788 | 4.4% |
| Count | 110 | 119 | 8.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Skevington bearers went from 110 to 119 (+8.2% change). The surname moved up 6,607 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #142,788.
FAQ
Skevington surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Skevington?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Skevington. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Skevington?
Skevington ranks #142,788 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 119 people with the surname Skevington. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Skevington.
Has Skevington become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Skevington went from 110 recorded bearers to 119. That is an increase of 9 (+8.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #149,395 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Skevington?
Among Census respondents with the surname Skevington, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Black (3.4%) and Two or More Races (2.5%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Skevington in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.6% (109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Skevington appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.6%), Black (3.4%), Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Skevington (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 Skevington mean?
A habitational name denoting someone from a place called Skevington. 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 Skevington (0.04 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 people share the surname Skevington?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.