SCHOLES
The surname Scholes originates from England, principally within the northern counties of Yorkshire and Lancashire, and is classified as a locational or habitational name arising from particular places named Scholes or similar. The earliest documentary evidence dates to the late thirteenth century, with the name recorded as Richard del Scoles in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in 1275 during the reign of King Edward the First.
Derivation of the surname is based upon the Old English word sceol meaning a shelter or hut, and on the Old Norse word skóli meaning a temporary shelter or a dwelling place. Consequently, Scholes is generally considered to have been allocated to individuals who lived adjacent to or worked within such structures, or who resided in settlements called by this term. The name may also denote a connection with a specific place of that name, such as the several villages called Scholes in the West Riding of Yorkshire, or other locations like Scales in Cumberland or Scole in Norfolk.
The surname appears in various medieval forms, including Choale, Choales, Schole, School, Schoole, Schools, Skoole and Scole. The earliest surviving records reveal a concentration of the name in Northern England: an individual named Adam de Scoles appears in the Assize Court Rolls of Lancashire in 1285; Thomas del Scales is listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Cumberland in 1332; and John del Scholes is noted in the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire in 1379.
Later documents demonstrate the migration of the surname further south, with references such as Anne Skoole recorded at Christ Church Greyfriars in 1587 and Frances School documented at St Dunstans in East Stepney in 1605. These entries illustrate a gradual spread of the name beyond its northern origins into London and its surrounding boroughs.
In contemporary times the surname Scholes remains uncommon in England but is still represented in various English‑speaking countries, notably the United States, Australia and New Zealand, a distribution pattern reflecting historical patterns of emigration from Britain. Within the United States the name is found particularly in states with substantial populations of British descent, such as Pennsylvania, Illinois and Texas.
Extant variants retain a close relationship to the original form. Common modern spellings are Scholes, Scoles and Schoales. These variants preserve the essential structure of the place‑name base and are thus recognisable as belonging to the same family group. The name continues to function as an indicator of heritage, linking bearers with their ancestral loci in the northern counties of England.
Typical given names associated with the Scholes surname
Male
- Andrew
- David
- James
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Robert
- William
Female
- Catherine
- Christine
- Claire
- Diane
- Helen
- Jane
- Karen
- Kathleen
- Margaret
- Mary
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
- Schoelles
- Schold
- Scholas
- Scholdes
- Schoales
- Schole
- Schola
- Scholey
- Scholie
- Scholl
- Scholles
- Scholley
- Schollie
- Scholls
- Scholte
- Scholtes
- Scholts
- Scholy
- Scholz
- Scholze
- Schoole
- Schooles
- Scoales
- Scholem
- Scholer
- Scholke
- Schollay
- Scholle
- Schollen
- Scholler
- Scholly
- Scholt
- Scholtke
- Scholtze
- Schools
- Scoles
- Schulz
- Skoyles
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Scholes in...
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There are approximately 4,272 people named Scholes in the UK. That makes it roughly the 2,185th most common surname in Britain. Around 66 in a million people in Britain are named Scholes.
Surname type: Location or geographical feature
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Scholes
- Paul Scholes - Football player
- Rory Scholes - Rugby union player
- Malcolm Scholes - (1924 to 2008)
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.