Skylar
Meaning
from the Dutch surname Schuyler, "scholar," carried to New York by colonial families; respelled by ear into Skylar and Skyler, it took off in the 1990s with sky right there in the sound. Airy, unisex at root, now mostly a girls' pick
The story
Skylar began, improbably, as Dutch: the surname Schuyler, meaning scholar, carried to New York by colonial families whose name still marks streets and towns across the state. Americans eventually respelled it by ear, and Skylar and Skyler emerged with a happy accident built in, the whole open sky sitting right there in the first syllable. That sound, more than the scholarly root, is surely what modern parents hear. The name edged into US records in the 1960s, grew through the 1980s, then took off properly in the 1990s and has climbed almost without pause since; the 2020s match its highest mark yet. Unisex at root, it now leans mostly to girls. Few names manage this particular trick: three centuries of American history in the background, and a fresh, weightless sound out front.
Popularity, 1890–2024
Shape drawn from US Social Security baby-name records. Skylar peaked in the 2010s and the 2020s in nearly equal measure.
When you meet Skylar
Most people given the name Skylar in the United States are children or teenagers today. The name belongs to this generation.
Estimated from US Social Security birth registrations and typical lifespans; a rough guide, not a rule.
The Skylar deep dive
Whether you’re naming a baby or exploring your own name’s history, this is a personal letter, not a list: where Skylar truly comes from, how it traveled, and what a century of records reveals. If you have grown a tree on nametree, it also considers how Skylar fits with your family’s names and surname.
Keep exploring
Does Skylar fit YOUR family?
nametree reads your family’s names and finds the ones that belong. Free, private, no ads.
Add Skylar to your family’s tree →