Skye
Skye is a girl's name of Scottish origin.
Meaning
Isle of Skye; cloud or winged island.
Origin and history
Skye is a modern nature and place name derived from the Isle of Skye in Scotland, which itself originates from Old Norse or Celtic roots meaning 'cloud' or 'winged'. It gained popularity as a given name in the late 20th century alongside other nature-inspired names. In the United States, it is widely used for girls and maintains a steady contemporary presence.
Popularity in the United States
24,262 babies in the United States have been named Skye since 1880. It ranks #932 all-time. Among babies born since 2020 it ranks #450.
States where it is most popular
- CA (13.2 %)
- TX (8.6 %)
- NY (7.9 %)
- FL (7.6 %)
- PA (4.4 %)
Trends by decade
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880-1890 | 0 |
| 1890-1900 | 0 |
| 1900-1910 | 0 |
| 1910-1920 | 0 |
| 1920-1930 | 0 |
| 1930-1940 | 0 |
| 1940-1950 | 0 |
| 1950-1960 | 57 |
| 1960-1970 | 56 |
| 1970-1980 | 635 |
| 1980-1990 | 1,440 |
| 1990-2000 | 3,852 |
| 2000-2010 | 6,708 |
| 2010-2019 | 7,453 |
| 2020-2029 | 4,061 |
Famous people named Skye
- Skye McCole Bartusiak: Actress
- Skye Sweetnam: Singer, Songwriter
Fun facts
- The name directly references the Isle of Skye, the largest and northernmost island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland.
- Skye gained traction in the late 1900s as part of a broader trend favoring short, evocative nature names.