UK name, mostly girls
Skye
Meaning of Scottish origin referring to the cloudy Scottish sky.
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Skye is mostly registered for girls in the UK records. People looking for Skye popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #202, with 245 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2007, with 930 births.
This profile covers 13,654 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 26% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 16,858 living people in the UK are called Skye. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Skye ranked #202 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 245 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2007, when 930 girls were registered as Skye.
- • Skye ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #45 in 2024.
- • About 16,858 living people in the UK are estimated to have Skye as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
- • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 99.0% of Skye registrations are for girls.
Latest rank (E&W)
#202
2024
Births in 2024
245
Latest year
Peak year
2007
930 births
Estimated living
16,858
2026
Gender
Boy and girl registrations for Skye
In England and Wales birth records, Skye has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 1.0% of registrations are for boys and 99.0% are for girls.
These figures use the sex categories in the published baby-name files. They are useful for spotting how the name is used at registration, but they are not a live measure of gender identity or everyone living with the name today.
Skye registered for boys
- Ranked #2,443 in 2024
- 9 boys registered in 2024
- Peak: 2023 (11 births)
Skye registered for girls
- Ranked #202 in 2024
- 245 girls registered in 2024
- Peak: 2007 (930 births)
Meaning
What does Skye mean?
The name Skye is believed to have originated from the Isle of Skye, the largest and northernmost of the major islands in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. The name itself is derived from the Old Norse word "ský," meaning "cloud" or "mist," which likely refers to the misty and cloudy weather often experienced on the island.
The Isle of Skye has a rich history dating back to the Mesolithic period, with evidence of human habitation from as early as 4000 BC. The name Skye is thought to have emerged during the Viking era, when Norse settlers arrived on the island in the 9th century AD.
While the name Skye does not appear to have been recorded in any significant historical texts or religious scriptures, it has been used as a given name for both males and females throughout history. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Skye is from the 16th century, when a Scottish nobleman named Skye MacLeod was mentioned in historical records.
In the 18th century, a notable figure named Skye Beaumont (1701-1784) was a French explorer and cartographer who is credited with mapping parts of the Pacific Northwest region of North America. Another individual named Skye Hepworth (1798-1872) was a British botanist and naturalist who made significant contributions to the study of plant life in Australia.
In more recent times, the name Skye has gained popularity as a given name for females, particularly in the English-speaking world. One of the most famous individuals with the name is Skye McCole Bartusiak (1992-2014), an American actress best known for her roles in films such as "The Patriot" and "Don't Say a Word."
Other notable individuals named Skye include Skye Sweetnam (born 1988), a Canadian singer-songwriter and actress; Skye Gyngell (born 1963), an Australian chef and food writer; and Skye Stracke (born 1998), an American soccer player who has represented the United States at the youth international level.
Overall, the name Skye has a rich history rooted in the Isle of Skye in Scotland, and its meaning and origins are closely tied to the island's misty and cloudy weather. While not as common in earlier centuries, the name has gained widespread popularity in modern times, particularly as a given name for females.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Skye over time
The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Skye in England and Wales, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Skye, the clearest high point is 2007. The latest England and Wales figure is 245 births in 2024, compared with 930 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Skye by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Skye was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #182 | 1,403 | 5 |
| 2010s | #110 | 5,459 | 10 |
| 2000s | #102 | 5,997 | 10 |
| 1990s | #219 | 795 | 4 |
Geography
Where Skye is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Skye. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Skye ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #45 in 2024.
Across the UK
Skye in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#45 in 2024
35 years of NRS records, 3,041 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#288 in 2024
24 years of NISRA records, 252 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Skye
-
Skye Bennett
actor; singer; television actor
British actress
1995-
-
Skye Edwards
singer; singer-songwriter; songwriter
British singer
1974-
-
Skye Bacon
association football player
English footballer
-
Skye Stout
association football player
Scottish association football player
Related
Names similar to Skye
- Sophie 103,803
- Sophia 46,936
- Scarlett 34,261
- Sienna 32,418
- Sofia 29,136
- Sarah 27,961
- Shannon 25,510
- Summer 24,167
- Sara 14,205
- Samantha 12,697
- Stephanie 9,309
- Savannah 8,846
FAQ
Skye: questions and answers
How popular is the name Skye in the UK right now?
In 2024, Skye was ranked #202 for girls in England and Wales, with 245 births registered.
When was Skye most popular?
The peak year on record was 2007, with 930 babies registered as Skye in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Skye?
Meaning of Scottish origin referring to the cloudy Scottish sky.
How many people are called Skye in the UK?
A total of 13,654 babies have been registered as Skye across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 3,041 more in Scotland and 252 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Skye most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Skye ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #45 in 2024. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.