Show ContentsSkelton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Skelton Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Early Origins and Etymology of Skelton

The surname Skelton was first found in Cumberland, at Skelton, a parish in the union of Penrith. There are no fewer that five villages or parishes so named throughout northern Britain. None have derived their name from the rather obvious use of the term "skeleton" today. Rather each literally meant "farmstead on a shelf or ledge," from the Viking word "scelf" + "tun." 1 Furthermore, many of the villages or parishes date back to the Domesday Book or shortly after: Scheltun, Cleveland (1086); Shelton, Cumbria (c. 1160); Schilton, Humber (1086); Schelton, North Yorkshire (1086); and Scelton, North Yorkshire (12 century.) 1 "The Skeltons of Cumberland date back to temp. Edward I." 2

By the 11th century the family had acquired Armathwaite Castle in Cumberland, and later branched to Branthwaite and High House in that shire. "Armathwaite Castle [in Cumberland], a handsome modern edifice, built on the site of an ancient fortress, occupies a rocky elevation, at the foot of which flows the Eden; in the reign of Henry VIII. it was, with the estate, the property of John Skelton (c. 1463-1529), the poet-laureat. The chapel was rebuilt by Richard Skelton in 1668, having for some time previously been used as a shed for cattle." 3

Another source claims the family was from Lincolnshire as "one of the first ministers of Salem, Massachusetts, Samuel Skelton, was a nonconforming minister of Lincolnshire." 4 We respectfully disagree with this latter source's claim as the lion's share of early records were from further north and this entry was from some four hundred years after the first entries.

The first record of the family was John de Skelton who was listed in the Early Yorkshire Charters (c. 1160-1193) Another John de Skelton was listed in the Feet of Fines for Yorkshire in 1286. 5 Almost one hundred years later, Willelmus de Skelton and Thomas de Skelton were listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. 6

The Skeldon variant is an interesting one. Apart from the obvious phonetic similarity, some sources merge the entries and others do not. Reaney and Wilson claim one of the first entries for this variant was John Skeldyng who was listed in the Register of Freemen of York in 1463. And in this case, the family originated in Skelding, a township in the parish of Ripon in the West Riding of Yorkshire. 5 All of the Skelding entries that we could find were some two hundred years after the first Skelton entries, so we presume that the Skelding variant is of later stock, particularly as this name too originates in the Yorkshire, Cumberland area of Britain.

As one would expect, the close proximity to Scotland could encourage some of the family to migrate there. Archibald Skeldin, was burgess of Edinburgh, 1569 and the family may have originated Skeldoun in Kyle-Regis. "It may otherwise be from Skeldon in Yorkshire or from Skeldon in Northumberland." 7

Early History of the Skelton family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Skelton research. Another 111 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1379, 1460, 1512, 1529, 1617, 1632, 1641, 1672, 1674, 1691, 1696 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Skelton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Skelton Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Skelton, Skeldon and others.

Early Notables of the Skelton family

  • John Skelton, also known as John Shelton (c.1460-1529), probably born in Diss, Norfolk, an English poet
  • John Skelton, High Sheriff of Cumberland in 1512
  • Bevil Skelton (1641-1696) of Armthwaite Castle, Cumberland, a British foreign envoy and diplomat, Lieutenant-Colonel of the Royal English Regiment in France from 1672 to 1674

Skelton World Ranking

the United States, the name Skelton is the 2,293rd most popular surname with an estimated 12,435 people with that name. 8 However, in New Zealand, the name Skelton is ranked the 722nd most popular surname with an estimated 990 people with that name. 9 And in the United Kingdom, the name Skelton is the 980th popular surname with an estimated 7,123 people with that name. 10

Migration of the Skelton family to Ireland

Some of the Skelton family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 91 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Skelton migration to the United States +



Skelton Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Rev. Samuel Skelton, who settled in Salem Massachusetts with Susannah in 1629 aboard the ship "George Bonaventure"
  • Benjamin Skelton, who arrived in Salem, Massachusetts in 1639 12
  • Nathaniel Skelton, who landed in Salem, Massachusetts in 1648 12
  • Richard Skelton, who arrived in Maryland in 1665 12
  • Robert Skelton, who settled in Virginia in 1670
Skelton Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Thomas Skelton, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1716 12
Skelton Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Skelton, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1850 12
  • Henry Skelton, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1867 12
  • William Skelton, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1878 12
  • Frank Skelton, who landed in Hancock County, Miss in 1888 12

Skelton migration to Canada +

Skelton Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Ann Skelton, aged 18, who landed in Fort Cumberland, Nova Scotia in 1774
  • John Skelton, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1774
  • Thomas, Anne, and John Skelton who, who arrived in Fort Cumberland Nova Scotia in 1774
  • John and Jane Skelton, who arrived in Annapolis Nova Scotia in 1775
  • John Skelton, aged 38, who landed in Fort Cumberland, Nova Scotia in 1775
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Skelton migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia included the First Fleet of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

First Fleet
  • Mr. Henry Skelton, Cornish settler convicted in Launceston, Cornwall, UK on 23rd March 1789, sentenced for 7 years for burglary and housebreaking from Robert Hoblyn, transported aboard the ship "Atlantic" on 27th March 1791 to New South Wales, Australia 11
Following the First Fleet, other convicts and early settlers arriving in Australia include:

Skelton Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr.John Skelton, (b. 1792), aged 20, Scottish gun smith who was convicted in Edinburgh, Scotland for life for robbery, transported aboard the "Fortune" on 31st October 1812, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 13
  • Jacob Skelton, English convict from Gloucester, who was transported aboard the "Adamant" on March 16, 1821, settling in New South Wales, Australia 14
  • John Skelton, English convict from Gloucester, who was transported aboard the "Adamant" on March 16, 1821, settling in New South Wales, Australia 14
  • Mr. William Skelton, (Shilton), (b. 1804), aged 26, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Clyde" on 20th August 1830, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 15
  • Mr. James Skelton who was convicted in Derby, Derbyshire, England for life, transported aboard the "Camden" on 21st March 1831, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 16
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Skelton migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Skelton Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • John Skelton, who landed in Bay of Islands, New Zealand in 1836
  • William Skelton, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1841 aboard the ship Lady Nugent
  • Thomas Skelton, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Alma" in 1857
  • Miss Jane Skelton, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Maori" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 3rd November 1859 17
  • William Skelton, aged 28, a labourer, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Maori" in 1864
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Skelton migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 18
Skelton Settlers in West Indies in the 18th Century
  • Ralph Skelton, who arrived in Jamaica in 1775

Contemporary Notables of the name Skelton (post 1700) +

  • Richard Bernard "Red" Skelton (1913-1997), American comedian, top radio and television star from 1937 to 1971, eponym of the Red Skelton Bridge and the Red Skelton Performing Arts Center, he received an Lifetime Achievement Award from the Screen Actors Guild in 1987
  • Isaac Newton "Ike" Skelton IV (1931-2013), American politician, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives (1977-2011)
  • Charles Skelton (1806-1879), American Democratic Party politician
  • L. L. Skelton, American politician, Member of Tennessee State House of Representatives, 1885-86 19
  • Karen E. Skelton, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from California, 2008 20
  • John Hamilton Skelton (d. 1893), American politician, Mayor of Hartwell; Member of Georgia State House of Representatives, 1888-89 20
  • John Boone Skelton, American Democratic Party politician, Chair of Lafayette County Democratic Party, 1967 20
  • J. H. Skelton, American politician, Member of Georgia State Senate 31st District, 1902-03 20
  • Harold Newell Skelton, American Republican politician, Mayor of Lewiston, Maine, 1930-31; Delegate to Republican National Convention from Maine, 1940 20
  • ... (Another 22 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
RMS Lusitania
  • Mr. Frederick Skelton, Canadian 3rd Class passenger from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, who sailed aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking 20

Suggested Readings for the name Skelton +

  • Nine Generations of the Skelton Family by Zenobia Bell Callahan.
  • Rogers-Skelton and Allied Families by Helen Rogers Skelton.
  1. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  2. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  3. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  4. Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
  5. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  6. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  7. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
  8. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  9. "Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
  10. "UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
  11. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 30th May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_australia_convicts.pdf
  12. 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)
  13. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th October 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au
  14. State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Adamant voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1821 with 144 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/adamant/1821
  15. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 19th February 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/clyde
  16. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 2nd December 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/camden
  17. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  18. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
  19. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 27) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  20. Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 6) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/

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