History of your Surname
Get access to Skelly family records.Start a free trial

Skelly Family History

Skelly Name Meaning

Irish and Manx: shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Scolaidhe or Ó Scolaidhe ‘son or descendant of the scholar’; see Scully . Manx: shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Scalaighe ‘son of Scalaighe (the crier)’. Irish and Scottish: variant of Scally .

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Skelley, Skellie, Miskelly, Keily, Kealy, Shely, Skerry, Shelly

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

Where is the Skelly family from?

You can see how Skelly families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Skelly family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Skelly families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 23 Skelly families living in Pennsylvania. This was about 56% of all the recorded Skelly's in USA. Pennsylvania had the highest population of Skelly families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Skelly surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Skelly ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Skelly. 14% of Skelly men worked as a Laborer and 13% of Skelly women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Skelly were Farmer and Housewife. .

View Census Data for Skelly | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    14%
  • Clerk
    9%
  • Salesman
    8%
  • Farmer
    7%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Stenographer
    13%
  • Clerk
    10%
  • Teacher
    9%
  • Housewife
    6%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Skelly family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 38,000 census records available for the last name Skelly. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Skelly census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Skelly

Passenger Lists

There are 6,000 immigration records available for the last name Skelly. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Skelly immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 6,000 military records available for the last name Skelly. For the veterans among your Skelly ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Skelly military records

You've only scratched the surface of Skelly family history

Discover More

What is the average Skelly lifespan?

Between 1949 and 2004, in the United States, Skelly life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1957, and highest in 2001. The average life expectancy for Skelly in 1949 was 52, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Skelly

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Skelly family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the Skelly last name

Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial