Explore the Family Name Scarth

The meaning of Scarth

1. English: habitational name from Scarth Wood in Whorlton (North Yorkshire), named with northern Middle English scarth(e) ‘cleft, gap, mountain pass’ (Old Norse skarth), with reference to a long, narrow pass through the Cleveland Hills. 2. Scottish and Irish: habitational name from Scarth in Firth (Orkney); the origin of the placename is as in 1 above. The Orkney family settled in Scarth in Firth in the 15th century, taking their name from the place. They originally came from Norway, and one of their ancestors was Alvar Haraldsson (1340–1412), secretary to King Haakon VI of Norway.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Scarth in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Scarth has slightly decreased between 2000 and 2010. Ranked at 76,946 in 2000, it moved down to 78,821 in 2010, marking a change of -2.44%. However, the actual count of individuals carrying this name increased from 232 in 2000 to 242 in 2010, showing a growth of 4.31%. Despite this increase in count, the proportion per 100,000 people decreased by -11.11%, indicating that while more people have this surname, its prevalence in relation to the total population has declined.

20002010Change
Rank#76,946#78,821-2.44%
Count2322424.31%
Proportion per 100k0.090.08-11.11%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Scarth

Regarding ethnic identity, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows that the majority of individuals with the surname Scarth identify as White. In 2000, this figure was 91.81%, and by 2010 it had marginally decreased to 91.74%. This suggests a very minor shift in the ethnic composition within this surname group over the decade. The presence of Hispanic ethnicity also decreased from 6.47% in 2000 to 5.79% in 2010. The data for Asian/Pacific Islander, Two or more races, Black, and American Indian and Alaskan Native ethnicities were either zero or suppressed (S) for privacy reasons in both years.

20002010Change
White91.81%91.74%-0.08%
Hispanic6.47%5.79%-10.51%
Asian/Pacific Islander0%0%0%
Two or More Races0%0%0%
Black0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%