2000
#45,829
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 439
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.16
Very Rare Last name
Skerritt
An anglicized variant of Irish surnames derived from the Gaelic words "scoraich" meaning "to rise up" or "to ascend".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 566 Americans carry the last name Skerritt. That puts it at #46,481 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.17 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 605,573 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Skerritt 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 Skerritt with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
566
1 in 605,573
Census rank
#46,481
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
494
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 494 bearers of the surname Skerritt in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.17 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 46481st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Skerritt, the largest self-reported group is White at 53.2%. The next largest groups are Black (34.2%) and Hispanic (5.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Skerritt
The surname Skerritt originated in England, tracing its roots back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "scearra" and "hythe," which collectively translate to "scarred haven" or "rocky landing place." This suggests that the name may have initially been applied to someone who lived near a distinctive coastal feature or a harbor with unique geological formations.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Skerritt name appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire from 1297, where it is spelled as "Skerith." This variation in spelling was common during that era, as naming conventions were not standardized until much later. The name also appeared in various other historical records, such as the Pipe Rolls of Nottinghamshire from 1332, where it was written as "Skerryt."
In the 15th century, the surname Skerritt was associated with several notable individuals. One such person was John Skerritt, a merchant and landowner from Lincolnshire, who was mentioned in the Court Rolls of 1472. Another individual of note was William Skerritt, a clergyman who served as the vicar of St. Mary's Church in Nottingham from 1487 until his death in 1513.
As the centuries passed, the Skerritt name continued to appear in various historical records and documents. In the 16th century, there was a Thomas Skerritt, a farmer from Yorkshire, who was mentioned in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1545. Additionally, the Skerritt family had a presence in the county of Derbyshire, where a Richard Skerritt was recorded as a landowner in the Hearth Tax Returns of 1674.
Moving into the 17th and 18th centuries, the Skerritt name gained further prominence. One notable figure was Captain John Skerritt, a British naval officer who served during the Seven Years' War and is recorded as having participated in the Battle of Quiberon Bay in 1759. Another individual of note was Elizabeth Skerritt, who was born in 1698 in Staffordshire and is considered one of the earliest known female authors and poets from that region.
During the 19th century, the Skerritt name continued to be represented in various walks of life. One example is William Skerritt, a successful merchant and philanthropist from Liverpool, who was born in 1812 and made significant contributions to the city's charitable institutions. Additionally, there was a Thomas Skerritt, born in 1845 in Derbyshire, who became a renowned architect and designed several notable buildings in the region.
Throughout its long history, the surname Skerritt has been associated with individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions, reflecting the rich tapestry of English heritage and the enduring legacy of this ancient name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Skerritt
Among Census respondents with the surname Skerritt, the largest self-reported group is White at 53.2%. The next largest groups are Black (34.2%) and Hispanic (5.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Skerritt 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 Skerritt surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White53.2% · 263
- Black or African American34.2% · 169
- Hispanic or Latino5.5% · 27
- Two or more races4.7% · 23
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.2% · 11
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Skerritt
Skerritt 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
#45,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 472
+33 bearers (+7.5%)
Per 100,000 0.16
Rank movement Up 482 places
2020
#46,481
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 494
+22 bearers (+4.7%)
Per 100,000 0.17
Rank movement Down 1,134 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #45,829 | 439 | 0.16 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #45,347 | 472 | 0.16 | +33 bearers (+7.5%) | Up 482 places |
| 2020 | #46,481 | 494 | 0.17 | +22 bearers (+4.7%) | Down 1,134 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 Skerritt 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 | #45,347 | #46,481 | -2.5% |
| Count | 472 | 494 | 4.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.16 | 0.17 | 3.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Skerritt bearers went from 472 to 494 (+4.7% change). The surname moved down 1,134 positions in the national ranking, going from #45,347 to #46,481.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Skerritt
FAQ
Skerritt surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Skerritt?
Name Census estimates that about 566 living Americans carry the surname Skerritt. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 605,573 residents.
How common is Skerritt?
Skerritt ranks #46,481 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.17 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 494 people with the surname Skerritt. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (566), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.17 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.17 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 Skerritt.
Has Skerritt become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Skerritt went from 472 recorded bearers to 494. That is an increase of 22 (+4.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #45,347 to #46,481.
What does the Census say about the background of Skerritt?
Among Census respondents with the surname Skerritt, the largest self-reported group is White at 53.2%. The next largest groups are Black (34.2%) and Hispanic (5.5%). 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 Skerritt in the 2020 Census, accounting for 53.2% (263 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Skerritt appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (53.2%), Black (34.2%), Hispanic (5.5%). 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 Skerritt (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 Skerritt mean?
An anglicized variant of Irish surnames derived from the Gaelic words "scoraich" meaning "to rise up" or "to ascend". 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 Skerritt (0.17 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 Americans have the surname Skerritt?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.