Skinner
An occupational surname for someone who prepared or sold animal skins and hides.
The #627 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 5,713 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Skinner comes from Middle English skynner(e), meaning a person who dealt in skins or hides. The word is connected with Old Norse skinnari, from skinn, meaning "skin" or "fur." In effect, it names the trade rather than a place or family line.
History
The surname is well attested in medieval England; one early record cited by historical dictionaries is Robert le Skynnere in 1302. Later writers noted that the name was also associated with the Skinners' Company in London, whose charter dates back to the reign of Edward III. Like many occupational surnames, it spread widely and remained common in English-speaking countries.
Origin
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Fun fact
Medieval dictionaries often glossed the name in Latin as pelliparius, a term for a furrier or leatherworker.
From the historical record
“SKILTON = Skelton,q.v. SKINNER (A.-Scand.) Flayer (of Hides); HiDE-DEAtER ; Tanner [M.E. skynner{e, O.N. skinnari ; f. O.N. skinn, skin, fur] Robert le Skynnere. — Pari. Writs, A.D. 1302. SKIPP : the guttural form of Shipp, q.v. [O.N. skip=T)xA. schip (pron. almost skip), a ship] SKIPPER (Low Teut.) Shipmaster…”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)Notable people named Skinner
- B. F. Skinner (1904–1990)
Sourced from Wikidata; linked to their Wikipedia page.