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

Skillern, 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 Skillern surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Skillern in America

Skillern is the 28909th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Skillern surname appeared 822 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 Skillern.

We can also compare 2010 data for Skillern 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 Skillern

The surname Skillern is believed to have originated in England, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "scill," meaning skill or knowledge, and "ærn," meaning house or dwelling, essentially translating to "house of skill" or "skillful house."

One of the earliest recorded references to the name can be found in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1327, where a Robert Skyllerne is listed as a taxpayer. The surname also appears in various medieval records, such as the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1437, where a Thomas Skyllerne is mentioned.

The name Skillern was historically concentrated in the counties of Gloucestershire, Somerset, and Wiltshire in the southwest of England. It is likely that the name originated in one of these regions, with various spellings such as Skyllerne, Skyllern, and Skillen being used interchangeably in early records.

In the 16th century, the surname Skillern can be traced to a few notable individuals. William Skillerne (c. 1520-1589) was an English clergyman and author who served as the Archdeacon of Taunton in Somerset. Another figure from this period was Robert Skillern (c. 1550-1610), a yeoman farmer from Gloucestershire who was involved in land disputes recorded in the Court of Chancery.

During the 17th century, the Skillern surname continued to be present in various regions of England. One notable figure was John Skillern (1623-1686), a merchant and landowner from Somerset who left a substantial estate upon his death. Another individual was Mary Skillern (1658-1732), a celebrated midwife from Wiltshire who attended to numerous births in the local community.

In the 18th century, the name Skillern became more widespread across England, with records indicating individuals bearing the surname in various parts of the country. One prominent figure was Thomas Skillern (1745-1819), a successful businessman from London who made his fortune in the textile trade.

As the centuries progressed, the Skillern surname spread beyond England, with individuals bearing the name settling in various parts of the world, including North America, Australia, and other English-speaking countries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Skillern

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

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

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

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