Skerrit Surname History

Origins Available:
Ireland

Both the Anglo-Norman invaders and the Irish had their own methodologies and customs for surnames. The Irish, in particular, had a system of hereditary surnames. Although the name Skerrit is a form of the hereditary name, it is an occupational surname, a form more common to the Anglo-Normans. Occupational surnames were derived from a word describing the actual job done by the name bearer. Early Strongbownians often used the French prefix le, meaning the, but the convention quickly disappeared in Ireland. The surname came from a common occupational name for a house keeper or butler. The surname Skerrit originally took the form Scared, which is an abbreviation of Huscared. This in turn is a corruption of Huscarle which means house care.

Early Origins of the Skerrit family

The surname Skerrit was first found in Devon, where they held a family seat after the Norman Conquest in 1066 A.D. They were conjecturally descended from Alfred le Breton, who was granted the lands by William the Conqueror, and was Lord of the manor of Petertavy in Devon.

Early History of the Skerrit family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Skerrit research. Another 121 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1172, 1378, 1414, 1415, 1417, 1418, 1491, 1492, 1513, 1531, 1532, 1556, 1557, 1580, 1583, 1594, 1595, 1605, 1606, 1620, 1642 and 1688 are included under the topic Early Skerrit History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Skerrit Spelling Variations

Church officials and medieval scribes often spelled early surnames as they sounded. This practice often resulted in many spelling variations of even a single name. Early versions of the name Skerrit included: Skerritt, Skerratt, Skerrett, Skerit, Skeret, Scared, Scarrett, Scarrutt and many more.

Early Notables of the Skerrit family

Notable amongst the family up to this time was Richard Scared, Provost of Galway in 1378; Walter Skerrett, Provost of Galway (1414-1415) and (1417-1418); John Skerrett, 7th Mayor of Galway (1491-1492); James Skerrett, Mayor of Galway (1531-1532); William Skerrett, Mayor of Galway (1556-1557); Roland Skerrett, Mayor of Galway (1594-1595); John Skerrett fitz William, Mayor of Galway (1605-1606)...
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Skerrit Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Skerrit migration to the United States +

The Irish emigration during the late 18th and 19th century contributed to the melting pot of nationalities in North America, and the building of a whole new era of industry and commerce in what was seen as a rich, new land. Ireland'sGreat Potato Famine resulted in the worst economic and social conditions in the island's history. And in response to the hunger, disease, and poverty, during this decade the total number of emigrants to leave for North America rivaled all the previous years combined. Those from this decade that arrived on North American shores were not warmly welcomed by the established population, but they were vital to the rapid development of the industry, agriculture, and infrastructure of the infant nations of the United States and what would become Canada. Research into early immigration and passenger lists has shown many people bearing the name Skerrit:

Skerrit Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Joseph Skerrit, who landed in New York in 1832 1

Contemporary Notables of the name Skerrit (post 1700) +

Roosevelt Skerrit (b. 1972), the Honourable Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Dominica

Citations +

Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)