This post contains affiliate links.
At a Glance: Name: Skyla – Meaning: scholar (inherited from Skyler/Schuyler) – Origin: English (20th-century coinage, shortened from Skyler) – Gender: Girl – Pronunciation: SKY-lah
Skyla (pronounced SKY-lah) has a light, airy sound that fits right in with free-spirited, nature-inspired, clean, modern names for girls. Though many parents assume it means 'sky,' it's actually a 20th-century English name shortened from Skyler, tracing back to the Dutch surname Schuyler, which means 'scholar.' The sky-sound connection is just a coincidence, not where the name comes from.
Meaning & Origin of Skyla
Meaning: Scholar (inherited from skyler/schuyler).
Origin: English (20th-century coinage, shortened from Skyler).
A common claim: Skyla is popularly believed to mean 'sky' Actually: Skyla doesn't come directly from the word 'sky' – that connection is just a coincidence of sound. It's a shortened form of Skyler, from the Dutch surname Schuyler, meaning 'scholar.'
Source: Wiktionary.
How to Pronounce Skyla
Phonetic: SKY-lah IPA: /ˈskaɪlə/
Popularity of Skyla
Skyla was most popular in 2012, ranking #504 nationally with 604 babies given the name; by 2024 it had slipped to #850, with 318 babies named Skyla that year.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1959–2024.
Make Skyla Name Art
Free printable nursery art for Skyla, pre-loaded below — pick a layout, palette, and font, then download a print-ready PNG.
Names With a Similar Story
Derived from shared style, era, and origin data (or, for names we have no style data for, a similar Social Security popularity trajectory) — not a hand-picked list.
FAQ
What does the name Skyla mean?
Scholar (inherited from skyler/schuyler). (Source: Wiktionary, https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Skyla)
How do you pronounce Skyla?
Skyla is pronounced SKY-lah (IPA: /ˈskaɪlə/).
Is Skyla a popular name right now?
Skyla peaked at #504 in 2012 and is ranked #850 as of 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1959–2024.)
📊 How popular is Skyla? See the full popularity history, trend data, and ranking since 1880 with our free Baby Name Popularity Checker.
🎲 Think you know your baby names? Take the quiz!
🎨 Get Printable Name Art for Skyla
Beautiful nursery-ready 8×10" print with name & meaning
Preview & Download →More Baby Name Inspiration
📱 The Baby Names app is here
Swipe names, match with your partner the moment you both say yes, and claim a free Name Art print of your winner. Free to download. See all our apps →




