This interesting name is of English locational origin from "Skeffington", a place in Leicestershire, so called from the Scandinavianized form of the Old English pre 7th Century "Sce(a)tingatun", which is composed of three elements, the personal name "Sce(a)ft", plus "ing", meaning "people of", and "tun", a settlement. The place-name was recorded as "Sciftitone" in the Domesday Book (1086) and "Sceftinton" in the Leicestershire Survey (1125) and the Pipe Rolls of Leicestershire (1165 and 1192). The surname first appears in records in the 12th Century (see below). David de Scheftinton is recorded in the Hundred Rolls of Leicestershire circa 1216, as is a Baldewinus de Scheftinton. One Henry de Skefyngton is listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Leicestershire in 1327. John Skevyngton is listed in the Staffordshire Feet of fines, in 1520. Thomas Skevington (d. 1533) was abbot of Bealieu in Hampshire, and Waverlay in Surrey and was bishop of Bangor, North Wales from 1509 - 1533. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Simon de Scheffington, which was dated 1192, Pipe Rolls of Leicestershire, during the reign of King Richard known as Lionheart", 1189 - 1199. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

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