Skylar

Meaning and origin

Skylar means “scholar” through the Dutch surname Schuyler. It is a variant of Skyler, an English spelling shaped around the surname’s pronunciation. The visible word sky gives the modern spelling an additional English association, while its older meaning comes from the Dutch family name.

Skyler developed as a spelling that resembles a combination of sky and names such as Tyler. Skylar changes that ending to ar, keeping the same usual English sound. Schuyler, Skyler, and Skylar therefore belong to one historical family despite their different appearances.

From surname to first name

Dutch settlers brought the surname Schuyler to America. It later became a given name in honor of figures such as Philip Schuyler, the American general and senator who lived from 1733 to 1804.

The more phonetic spellings gained their own histories much later. Skylar was more common for boys during the 1980s, then became especially familiar for girls. Female characters with the name appeared in The Young and the Restless in 1989 and Good Will Hunting in 1997.

These screen connections belong to Skylar’s modern history, alongside the older Dutch surname. The name’s American records show a clear difference between its periods of strongest use for boys and girls.

Pronunciation and related forms

Skylar is pronounced SKY-ler, with two syllables and the stress at the beginning. Skyler usually sounds the same in English, making the difference primarily a written one. Skyla is another related form.

Sky is used as an everyday shortening; basketball player Skylar Diggins was nicknamed Sky during her Notre Dame career. That familiar form highlights the English word visible at the start of the name.

Skylar Diggins and basketball

Skylar Diggins gives the name an association with American basketball. She helped lead Notre Dame to three consecutive NCAA Women’s Final Four appearances from 2011 through 2013, including championship games in 2011 and 2012.

Her college career included 2,357 points and 381 steals. During her senior season in 2012–13, she averaged 17.1 points, 6.1 assists, and 3.1 steals per game. The Tulsa Shock selected her with the third overall pick in the 2013 WNBA Draft.

Those milestones connect Skylar with both college and professional basketball. Her name was already established before her draft selection, with its largest American wave for girls arriving soon afterward.

Popularity in the United States

Skylar’s peak for American girls came in 2015, when 5,295 received the name and it ranked number 42. It ranked number 64 in 2020 and number 167 in 2025.

For boys, its peak came in 2000, with 748 births and a rank of number 356. It ranked number 1,537 for boys in 2025.

How popular is Skylar?

In 2025, Skylar ranked #167 among girls in the United States, with 1,818 recorded uses. The U.S. birth records first list this spelling for girls in 1974; its largest annual count was 5,295 in 2015. Rankings count each spelling separately. They describe national use, so local familiarity can differ. The popularity chart shows whether the name has remained common, returned after a quieter period, or risen recently.