Skylar is an American respelling of the Dutch surname Schuyler, which means "scholar" or "schoolmaster" and arrived in New York with 17th-century settlers. The modern spelling links it to the word sky, which is how most parents hear it today. Skylar ranked 135th in the United States in 2000, entered the top 100 in 2012, peaked at number 42 in 2015 and 2016 and has fallen to number 167 in 2025.