Skene is used as a family name or surname in Gelic. It is 5 characters long in length.

Family Name / Last Name: Skene
No. of characters: 5
Origin: Gelic
Meaning: Among Scottish surnames, to which a fabulous legend has been attached, to account for its origin as a name, is Skene, in Gaelic, sgian, a dirk or dagger. According to one version of the story, King Malcolm II, or, as another version has it, King Malcolm Canmore, on his return south from the defeat of the Danes at Mortlach, in Moray, in 1010, was pursued by a wolf through the wood of Culblean, to the forest of Stocket, near Aberdeen. While the other version says he was hunting in that district, and was pursued by a wild boar, when a younger son of Donald of the Isles, or, as Sir George Mackenzie states, of Bobertson of Struan, seeing the king's danger, came to the rescue. Thrusting his left arm, round which he had wrapped his plaid, into the animal's mouth, with his dirk he stabbed it to the heart. The king, in return for this service, bestowed on him all the lands that form the parish of Skene in Aberdeenshire, and he thenceforth took the name of Skene. The Arms of the Skene family are what in heraldry are called canting arms, that is, having reference to the name, being three dirks or daggers, with as many wolves' heads above them. The shield supported by two Highlanders, the dexter one in a chieftain's dress, holding a dirk in his right hand, point upward. The sinister one in a gillie's habit, his target on his left arm, and the darlach on the right side. A similar origin is ascribed to the territorial name of Erskine, which, however, is derived from the lands of Erskine, on the Clyde.

Considering that there is Loch Skene in Moffatdale, also the loch, as well as the lands of Skene in Aberdeenshire, a Loch Skean in Connaught, a river Skene in Meath, and that the ancient name of the Kenmare river, in Kerry, was Skene; also, taking into account the existence of a large tribe of Irish Skehans, and the town of Skeen in Norway, just opposite Aberdeen. There can be no doubt that the wolf or wild boar story, in spite of the family Arms, is a pure myth, and that the name is territorial, and not derived from the weapon called a skene or dagger, as has been heretofore unquestioningly believed, but from the lands of the name, either in Aberdeenshire, or wherever else they may have been situated at the time the name was conferred.

How popular is Skene?

Skene is ranked 105928 on our list.

Despite the fact that the number of Skene bearers increased by 2.347418 per cent in 2010 US census to 436 since 2000, the surname slipped by 1492 spots and ranked at 48436. The last name was found in around 2 per 1 million population. Please refer to following table for race and ethnicity.

Race 2010 2000
White 94.95 97.89
Hispanic or Latino 2.98 1.41
Asian and Native Hawaiian
& Other Pacific Islander		 1.38 0
Skene is not so popular last name but still a prevalent family name common in Australia. On the other hand, it is more oftenly used in Scotland. Around 3899 people have been found who wears Skene as their family name. Skene is used widely across the globe. More detailed information can be found below:
RankCountryCount
Countries with very very low frequency i.e., 1 - 10:
13,220 Thailand6
615,517 Russia6
14,004 Hungary2
50,640 Switzerland2
21,529 Singapore2
3,670 Mozambique2
49,101 Denmark1
31,207 Ireland1
3,307 Malta1
26,040 Trinidad and Tobago1
53,033 Nigeria1
7,847 Albania1
2,190 Barbados1
91,024 Belgium1
172,258 Germany1
7,292 Vietnam1
83,428 United Arab Emirates1
492,292 Ukraine1
77,122 Sweden1
Countries with very low frequency i.e., 10 - 50:
78,557 Netherlands13
94,038 Spain11
Countries with low frequency i.e., 50 - 100:
7,287 New Zealand99
5,257 Wales68
Countries with hundreds of Skene:
4,159 Australia722
6,030 Canada714
1,179 Scotland663
42,259 United States652
11,178 England559
16,752 South Africa365
Show Full Last Name Distribution

Immigrants to US

From Ireland

Thomas Skene was 20 years old when he migrated to USA during Irish famine on May 4, 1849. He lived in Ireland where he worked as workman and took Dunbrody from New Ross. Thomas Skene, aged 22, 30 years old John Skene, Immigrant Mry Skene, 35 years old Dennis Skene, are others that migrated to US.

Skene Namesakes

  • Felicia Skene, Writer
  • Felicia Skene, Writer
  • Felicia Skene, Writer
  • Mat Skene, Television Director
  • Felicia Skene, Writer
  • Rick Skene, Actor

Skene Namesakes

  • Felicia Skene, Writer
  • Felicia Skene, Writer
  • Felicia Skene, Writer
  • Mat Skene, Television Director
  • Felicia Skene, Writer
  • Rick Skene, Actor

Related Family Names: