2000
#59,147
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 320
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.12
Very Rare Last name
Skye
A surname denoting someone from the Scottish Isle of Skye.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 709 Americans carry the last name Skye. That puts it at #38,554 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.21 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 483,433 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Skye surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Skye with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
709
1 in 483,433
Census rank
#38,554
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
618
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 618 bearers of the surname Skye in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.21 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 38554th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Skye, the largest self-reported group is White at 60.4%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (15.0%) and Two or More Races (9.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Skye
The surname Skye originated in the Hebrides, an archipelago off the west coast of mainland Scotland. It is a locational name derived from the Isle of Skye, one of the major islands in the Hebrides. The name Skye comes from the Old Norse word "skið," meaning "cloud" or "mist," which is fitting for the often misty and cloudy weather conditions on the island.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Skye can be traced back to the 13th century. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Gillechrist Skyeman, who was mentioned in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in 1264. The Exchequer Rolls were financial records kept by the Scottish government, indicating that the Skye surname was already established by that time.
In the 14th century, the surname appeared in the form "Schytheman" in the Chronicle of Lanercost, an English chronicle written by the canons of Lanercost Priory in Cumbria. This variant spelling suggests that the name was originally pronounced with a hard "ch" sound, reflecting its Norse origins.
One notable historical figure with the Skye surname was Sir John Skye (c. 1495 - c. 1560), a Scottish priest and diplomat who served as the Lord Clerk Register of Scotland during the reigns of James V and Mary, Queen of Scots.
Another prominent bearer of the name was Gilbert Skye (c. 1540 - 1596), a Scottish minister and reformer who played a significant role in the Scottish Reformation. He was appointed as the first Protestant minister of the parish of Longformacus in Berwickshire.
In the 17th century, the Skye surname was recorded in various forms, such as "Skay," "Skayie," and "Skaie," reflecting the local dialects and spelling variations of the time.
One of the most famous individuals with the Skye surname was Sir John Skye (1634 - 1688), a Scottish lawyer and judge who served as Lord Advocate of Scotland and later as Lord Justice Clerk, the second-highest judge in the country.
The Skye surname has also been connected to several place names in Scotland, such as Skyehill in Angus and Skyefield in Perthshire, suggesting that bearers of the name may have originated from or owned lands in these areas.
Throughout history, the Skye surname has been associated with the rugged and remote Isle of Skye, reflecting the strong connection between the name and the Scottish Highlands and Islands.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Skye
Among Census respondents with the surname Skye, the largest self-reported group is White at 60.4%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (15.0%) and Two or More Races (9.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Skye bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Skye surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White60.4% · 373
- American Indian and Alaska Native15.0% · 93
- Two or more races9.2% · 57
- Hispanic or Latino8.6% · 53
- Black or African American3.7% · 23
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.1% · 19
Timeline
Historical Census data for Skye
Skye appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#45,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 472
+152 bearers (+47.5%)
Per 100,000 0.16
Rank movement Up 13,800 places
2020
#38,554
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 618
+146 bearers (+30.9%)
Per 100,000 0.21
Rank movement Up 6,793 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #59,147 | 320 | 0.12 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #45,347 | 472 | 0.16 | +152 bearers (+47.5%) | Up 13,800 places |
| 2020 | #38,554 | 618 | 0.21 | +146 bearers (+30.9%) | Up 6,793 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Skye surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #45,347 | #38,554 | 15.0% |
| Count | 472 | 618 | 30.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.16 | 0.21 | 29.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Skye bearers went from 472 to 618 (+30.9% change). The surname moved up 6,793 positions in the national ranking, going from #45,347 to #38,554.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Skye
FAQ
Skye surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Skye?
Name Census estimates that about 709 living Americans carry the surname Skye. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 483,433 residents.
How common is Skye?
Skye ranks #38,554 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.21 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 618 people with the surname Skye. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (709), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.21 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.21 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Skye.
Has Skye become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Skye went from 472 recorded bearers to 618. That is an increase of 146 (+30.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #45,347 to #38,554.
What does the Census say about the background of Skye?
Among Census respondents with the surname Skye, the largest self-reported group is White at 60.4%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (15.0%) and Two or More Races (9.2%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Skye in the 2020 Census, accounting for 60.4% (373 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Skye appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (60.4%), American Indian/Alaska Native (15.0%), Two or More Races (9.2%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Skye (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Skye mean?
A surname denoting someone from the Scottish Isle of Skye. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Skye (0.21 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Skye?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.