SKEELS
Evidence shows that the surname Skeels has its roots in the British Isles, particularly within English and Old Norse linguistic influences. The name is thought to derive from the Old Norse personal designation Skjǫldr, meaning “shield,” and thus was originally a patronymic indicating descent from an individual named Skjǫldr.
Over time the spelling has fluctuated, producing variants such as Skeels, Skalls, Skeeles and Skeel. The most recent records place bearers of the name mainly in the United Kingdom and the United States, where the surname remains relatively uncommon.
Additional research suggests three distinct possible origins for the name. First, it may be a pet form or dialectal variant of the medieval personal name “Schayl,” an element of uncertain origin. Second, it could be locational, deriving from Skell as recorded in the Chartulary of Fountains, a place name modelled on the Old Norse word skiallr meaning “resounding.” Third, it may be topographical, referring to a dweller near a hut or shed, based on the Old Norse element skali, which entered Middle English as “Scales” and is a common placename element in Scandinavian‑settled areas of northern England.
The earliest recorded use of the surname in London appears in church registers on 21 August 1560, where a John Skeles was christened at St. Augustine, Watling Street. Subsequent entries include a 1582 marriage of Sislie Skeles to Richarde Merefeild at St. Mary Aldermanry, a 1658 marriage of William Skells to Sarah Burton at St. Giles, Cripplegate, and a 1678 marriage of Elizabeth Skells to Thomas Wright at All Hallows, London Wall.
Earlier documentation of a related spelling appears in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire in 1273, identifying a Dionise Schayl during the reign of King Edward I, who reigned from 1272 to 1307. This record indicates that the surname, or a close variant, was in use in the late twelfth and early thirteenth centuries.
Typical given names associated with the Skeels surname
Male
- Alan
- David
- James
- John
- Mark
- Matthew
- Michael
- Peter
- Richard
- Robert
- Simon
- Terry
- William
Female
- Angela
- Christine
- Dorothy
- Jean
- Joyce
- Mary
- Maureen
- Pamela
- Patricia
- Rebecca
- Susan
- Victoria
- Yvonne
Similar and related surnames
- Saell
- Sails
- Sales
- Salls
- Sauls
- Scales
- Sceal
- Scholz
- Schulz
- Scoles
- Seal
- Seall
- Seals
- Seel
- Seels
- Seil
- Seils
- Sel
- Sele
- Seles
- Selis
- Sell
- Selle
- Selles
- Sells
- Sels
- Shale
- Siehl
- Silles
- Sills
- Sils
- Skal
- Skales
- Skeal
- Skeales
- Skeals
- Skee
- Skeel
- Skeele
- Skeeles
- Skeely
- Skees
- Skeil
- Skeils
- Skele
- Skeley
- Skell
- Skells
- Skill
- Skills
- Skoyles
- Sles
- Szeles
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Skeels in...
Braille
⠎⠅⠑⠑⠇⠎
Morse
...-.-...-.....
Semaphore
There are approximately 927 people named Skeels in the UK. That makes it roughly the 7,809th most common surname in Britain. Around 14 in a million people in Britain are named Skeels.
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 Skeels
- Eric Skeels - Football player
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.