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

Skidmore, 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 Skidmore surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Skidmore in America

Skidmore is the 3310th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Skidmore surname appeared 10,841 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Skidmore.

We can also compare 2010 data for Skidmore 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 Skidmore

The surname Skidmore is an English locational name derived from a place called Skidmore in Shropshire. The name is believed to come from the Old English words "sceadan" meaning to divide or separate, and "mor" meaning a moor or marsh. This suggests the name originated from a place near a divided or separated marsh or moorland.

The earliest known record of the name dates back to the 13th century in the Shropshire Assize Rolls of 1292, where one William de Skydymor was mentioned. The spelling variations in early documents include Skydymor, Skydmore, Skidmore, and Skydmayre among others.

In the 16th century, the Skidmore surname appears in various parish records across Shropshire and the surrounding counties. Notably, a John Skidmore was recorded in the Munslow Parish Registers in 1572, and a Richard Skidmore was mentioned in the Shrewsbury Abbey Rolls in 1588.

One of the earliest known Skidmores was Thomas Skidmore (c.1510-1572), an English clergyman who served as the Archdeacon of Dorset and held several other ecclesiastical positions. Another notable bearer of the name was Sir William Skidmore (c.1580-1661), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Shropshire during the reign of King Charles I.

In the 18th century, the Skidmore family had established itself as a prominent landowning family in Shropshire. One of the most notable members was Thomas Skidmore (1745-1827), a wealthy landowner and industrialist who owned several coal mines and ironworks in the area.

During the 19th century, the Skidmore name spread across various parts of England and beyond. One of the most famous Skidmores of this era was Thomas Skidmore (1790-1868), a noted English architect who designed several notable buildings, including the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge.

Other notable individuals with the Skidmore surname include Sir Armine Woodhouse Skidmore (1854-1948), a British army officer and recipient of the Victoria Cross; and Steve Skidmore (1939-2020), an English football player who played for several top clubs, including Liverpool and Leicester City.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Skidmore

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

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

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

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