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

Skiles, 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 Skiles surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Skiles in America

Skiles is the 6548th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Skiles surname appeared 5,172 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Skiles.

We can also compare 2010 data for Skiles 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 Skiles

The surname SKILES has its origins in the British Isles, specifically in England and Scotland, dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "scylian," which means "to shelter" or "to protect." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who lived near or worked in a shelter or a place of refuge.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name SKILES can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of land and property ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The entry lists a landowner named Skillingus, which is believed to be an early spelling variation of the surname.

During the 13th century, the name appeared in various records and manuscripts, including the Pipe Rolls of Northamptonshire from 1212, which mention a William Skyles. Another early reference is found in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire from 1272, where a Robert Skyles is documented.

In the 14th century, the surname SKILES began to spread across different regions of England and Scotland. One notable figure from this period was John Skyles, a merchant and landowner from Yorkshire, who was born around 1320 and played a prominent role in local affairs.

As the name evolved, it took on various spellings, such as Skyles, Skylis, and Scyles, reflecting the phonetic variations and regional dialects of the time. Some of these spellings were derived from place names, like Skyles in Derbyshire, which may have influenced the surname's development.

In the 16th century, a notable bearer of the SKILES surname was Sir Thomas Skyles (1520-1594), a military commander who served under Queen Elizabeth I and played a key role in the English victory against the Spanish Armada in 1588.

Another prominent figure was John Skyles (1592-1670), an English Puritan minister and author who immigrated to New England in the early 1600s and became a influential figure in the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

The 17th century saw the name SKILES spread further across the British Isles and eventually to the American colonies. One notable individual from this period was Robert Skiles (1630-1702), an early settler in Virginia who established a successful plantation and played a role in the colony's governance.

In the 18th century, the SKILES surname continued to be found in various regions of England and Scotland, as well as in the British colonies in North America. A notable bearer of the name was William Skiles (1745-1821), a Scottish-born merchant and landowner who emigrated to Virginia and became a prominent figure in the early United States.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Skiles

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

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

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

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