How Many People Are Named Skye?

An estimated 26,001 people in the United States have the first name Skye. It is used for both genders, with 89.3% female. The average bearer is 20 years old, and Skye peaked in popularity in 2014 with 946 births that year.

Below you will find a full statistical profile of Skye as a first name in the United States, including gender data, a year-by-year popularity timeline going back to 1880, a decade breakdown, state-by-state birth registrations, and, when available, a 2020 Census snapshot showing who had the name at that point in time. You can also check how many people share the full name Skye paired with any surname.

Estimated Living Americans

26,001

About 1 in 13,182 people in the U.S.

Rarity

Uncommon

Very Rare Very Common

Predicted Gender

Female

89.3% confidence

Average Age

20

years old

Peak Year

2014

946 births

Total Registered

26,528

since 1880

Gender Distribution for Skye

Skye is predominantly female (89.3%), though 2,844 male births have been registered. It functions as a unisex name for a small percentage of bearers.

Male 2,844 (10.7%)
Female 23,684 (89.3%)

Skye as a male name

Ranked #2,278 in 2024

63 male births in 2024

Peak: 2000 (86 births)

Skye as a female name

Ranked #480 in 2024

642 female births in 2024

Peak: 2014 (887 births)

Skye in the 2020 Census

The 2020 Census recorded 20,357 people with the first name Skye, which placed it at #1,584 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The estimated living count elsewhere on this page is different: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two figures are not expected to match exactly.

Read this section as a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The SSA charts elsewhere on this page are still the better way to see how the name rose, fell, or shifted across generations.

Gender in the 2020 Census

In the 2020 Census, Skye was recorded as predominantly female. Out of 20,357 people with this name in that snapshot, 11.4% were male and 88.6% were female. That is very close to the long-run birth pattern in SSA records, where the name is female 89.3% of the time.

Census Count

20,357

people with this name

Census Rank

#1,584

among Census first names

Frequency Rate

6.74

per 100,000 people

Male 2,323 (11.4%)
Female 18,034 (88.6%)

Recorded Race and Hispanic Origin in the 2020 Census

In the 2020 Census, the first name Skye was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (54.69%). The next largest recorded groups were Black (18.28%) and Hispanic (12.30%).

These percentages describe the people who had the first name Skye in the 2020 Census. They do not tell you the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.

White
54.69%
Black
18.28%
Hispanic
12.30%
Asian/Pacific Islander
3.89%
American Indian/Alaska Native
1.89%
Two or More Races
8.94%

2020 Census demographic breakdown

Each row shows a recorded Census category for people with the first name Skye.

Group Share Count
White 54.69% 11,134
Black 18.28% 3,722
Hispanic 12.30% 2,505
Two or More Races 8.94% 1,821
Asian and Pacific Islander 3.89% 793
American Indian and Alaska Native 1.89% 385

The Census published separate sex and race/origin tables for first names, so their total counts can differ slightly for the same name. That is why the race section focuses on the demographic mix rather than repeating a second headline count.

Skye: Popularity Over Time

SSA records for Skye span from the 1950s to the 2020s, covering 8 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 2010s, when 8,054 babies were registered. While Skye is less common than at its peak in the 2010s, it remains a well-established name with steady registrations.

Male
Female
0 189 378 568 757 946 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020

Skye by Decade

How has Skye tracked across different eras? The table below groups all SSA birth registrations into 10-year periods, with separate male and female counts. The colored bar shows each decade's share relative to the peak.

Decade Total Male Female
1950s 64 7 57
1960s 56 0 56
1970s 862 226 636
1980s 1,837 397 1,440
1990s 4,495 643 3,852
2000s 7,360 652 6,708
2010s 8,054 605 7,449
2020s 3,800 314 3,486

Skye by State

Birth registrations for Skye span all 49 states and territories in the SSA database. The highest counts are in California, Texas, New York. The lowest are in North Dakota, Rhode Island, West Virginia. On average, about 446 Skyes were registered per state.

Skye + Last Name Combinations

How many people share a full name with Skye as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.

Skye: Questions and Answers

How many people in the U.S. are named Skye?

We estimate approximately 26,001 people named Skye are alive in the United States today. This is based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables. About 1 in 13,182 Americans share this first name.

Is Skye a common name?

Skye is classified as "Uncommon" and is more popular than 98.7% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 26,528 births have been registered with this name since 1880.

When was Skye most popular?

Skye reached peak popularity in 2014, when 946 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Skye is approximately 20 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.

How common was Skye in the 2020 Census?

The 2020 Census recorded 20,357 people with the first name Skye. That placed it at #1,584 in the published Census first-name tables, or 6.74 people per 100,000.

Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?

Because they measure different things. The Census number is a count of people with the name in 2020. The living estimate is a current model based on SSA birth records and survival rates, so it aims to estimate how many people with the name are alive now.

What does the SSA popularity chart show?

The popularity chart tracks birth registrations, not people currently alive. It shows how often Skye was given to babies from 1880 through 2024, which is why it is the best tool on the page for seeing long-run naming trends.

What does the Census say about the gender split for Skye?

In the 2020 Census snapshot, Skye was recorded as predominantly female. The published split was 11.4% male and 88.6% female.

What does the Census say about the background of people named Skye?

In the 2020 Census, the first name Skye was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (54.69%). The next largest recorded groups were Black (18.28%) and Hispanic (12.30%). These percentages describe the people who had the name in the 2020 Census, not the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.

Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?

The Census published separate first-name tables for sex and for race and Hispanic origin. Those totals can differ slightly for the same name, so the page uses them as two related snapshots rather than treating them as perfectly interchangeable counts.

Does every first name have Census demographic data?

No. The public Census first-name tables only include names that met the Bureau's publication rules. That means some names on this site will have SSA history but no published Census demographic snapshot.

Is Skye a female name?

Skye is predominantly female. 89.3% of people with this name are female. See the gender breakdown above for full details.

Why can Skye have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?

Because a name can build up a large population over many decades. Skye peaked in 2014, and the average living bearer is about 20 years old, so a name can still have millions of living bearers even after it stops feeling current for newborns.

How many Skye Smiths are there?

To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Skye Smith, Skye Johnson, Skye Williams. You can also search any combination on our homepage.

Where does this data come from?

Our estimates use Social Security Administration birth records (1880 to 2024), adjusted for survival using CDC 2023 life tables broken down by sex. The U.S. population figure (342,754,338) is from the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate. Full methodology.

Search for a full name combination