Surname Skiles - Meaning and Origin
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Skiles: What does the surname Skiles mean?
The surname Skiles is of Dutch origin and is derived from the personal name Giles. This name was popular among Christians during the Middle Ages in honor of the 7th century Provençal hermit St. Giles, who was one of the patron saints of cripples and lepers. Giles is derived from the Greek word "Αιγίδιον (Aigidion)", which translates to "little goat". It is nicknamed for a timid person or a hermit-like individual who lived in isolation. The surname Skiles might have been influenced by its phonetic similarity to the Dutch word "Schijlen," which means "peel" or "pare." The geographical distribution of the last name Skiles is greatest in the United States. The variations of the name include Skyles, Skyllas, Schiles, Skilas, and Skelos. It is important to note that surnames had different origins, and a surname could have been derived based on a person's occupation, geographical location, physical attributes, or character traits. Thus, meaning can vary.
Order DNA origin analysisSkiles: Where does the name Skiles come from?
The last name Skiles is most commonly found in the United States today. In fact, the U.S. Census Bureau reported in 2019 that the Skiles surname was the 10,524th most common surname in the country. It was also found to be particularly prevalent in Alabama and Georgia, tied for the highest number of occurrences. In Alabama, specifically, Skiles was listed as the 806th most common surname.
The majority of the bearers of the name in the United States are descended from German and Dutch immigrants. Many Dutch emigrants bearing this name first settled in Pennsylvania in the mid 1600s, but then ventured further throughout the Colonies. First name variants of Skiles include Scheils, Schiles, and Schill.
The surname is also found throughout Germany, Netherlands, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, and other parts of the world. Beyond the United States, the Netherlands is the country with the most recorded occurrences of the name Skiles.
In sum, the last name Skiles is most commonly found in the United States today, particularly in the states of Alabama and Georgia. The roots of this name do not solely lie in the United States, however, as it also has a strong presence in the Netherlands, as well as other countries.
Variations of the surname Skiles
Skiles is an English language surname. It is thought to be derived from an Old French variation of the word "Esquela", meaning school, which in turn came from a Germanic root word meaning "skill". It may also have originated as a nickname for someone who was skilled or taught in a particular activity, referring to a schoolmaster or teacher.
Variations on the surname can include Skyles, Scales, Skiles, Skells, Scyles,Scheles, Skeels, Skiles, Skeules, and Skylis.
It should be noted that there are also variants from other countries such as the Dutch Skiles, the Swedish Skiole, the Spanish Escuela, and the Italian Scuola.
Another variation, Schuyls, is Dutch in origin and comes from the name Schuyl, which literally means "shoal" or "shallow".
Finally, the Irish version of the surname is often spelled Scyles, and is thought to have derived from the Irish name Seilaigh, which means "learning".
In all these cases, the various spellings of the same name have evolved over time, but the meaning behind them all is the same. They indicate someone who was either skilled or a teacher or both.
Famous people with the name Skiles
- Scott Skiles: An American basketball coach and former player, who is currently the head coach of the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
- Steve Skiles: An American Paralympic athlete who has competed in multiple sports, including wheelchair basketball, wheelchair athletics, shot put, and alpine skiing.
- Melinda Skiles: An American water skier who has won nine National Water Ski Championships and four World Championships.
- Nancy Skiles: An American rower, who won a silver medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta.
- Sam Skiles: An American professional basketball player, playing for the Delaware 87ers of the NBA Development League.
- Mike Skiles: An American professional baseball pitcher who played for six different teams over the course of his five-year Major League Baseball career.
- Heather Skiles: An American-Canadian film and television actress, best known for her role in the TV series Welcome to Sweden.
- Michael Skiles: An American race car driver, who competed in the Champ Car World Series.
- Bernie Skiles: An American baseball infielder who played two seasons in Major League Baseball for the Chicago Cubs in 1939 and 1940.
- John Skiles: An American soccer goalkeeper. He played college soccer for Francis Marion College and professional soccer, most notably in the Major Indoor Soccer League, for the Chicago Sting.