This interesting Scottish surname derives from the Old Norse "skeid" meaning a racecourse, and would have described one who lived or worked by such a place. All the early recordings are from the Highland Region of Scotland, which in the 9th century formed part of the Viking kingdom. Given that the Vikings were particularly keen on horse racing, it is perhaps surprising that this surname is not more prominent. There are a number of spellings of the surname including Skaid, Scad, and Sked in Scotland, whilst in England from the mid 17th century the spellings include Scud, Scad and the more popular Skade. Early recordings of the surname taken from authentic records of the period include in 1600, James Skaid, who was the tenant of the mill of Dunatye, whilst in 1647 "a payment" was made to William Sked of Falsyde. Robert Sked of Belhaven was a juror on the assize court of Dunbar, in 1688, and the marriage of John Sked and Catharin Ramsay, took place on June 16th 1692, at Edinburgh Parish Church, Midlothian. The first recorded spelling of the family name is believed to be that of Helene Skayde of Millades, near Braemar. This recording is to be found in the register of Aboyne, Aberdeenshire, during the reign of King James V1th of Scotland, 1587 - 1625. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

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