Schyler
An anglicized variant of the Dutch surname Schuyler, of uncertain meaning.
Name Census estimates that about 1,339 living Americans carry the first name Schyler. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 56.2% of registrations being male. The average person named Schyler today is around 29 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Schyler births was 1995 (98 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Schyler. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Schyler sits in rare territory as a truly gender-neutral name, given to boys and girls in near-equal numbers.
People living today
1.3K
~ 1 in 255,978 Americans
Peak year
1995
98 babies that year
Average age
29
years old
2020 SSA rank
#13,704
Tracked since 1977
Gender
Gender distribution for Schyler
Schyler is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 1,374 total registrations, 772 (56.2%) were male and 602 (43.8%) were female.
Schyler as a male name
- Ranked #13,704 in 2020
- 5 male births in 2020
- Peak: 1992 (47 births)
Schyler as a female name
- Ranked #15,922 in 2016
- 6 female births in 2016
- Peak: 1996 (66 births)
Popularity
Schyler: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Schyler from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 729 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Schyler by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Schyler during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Schylers live
The SSA's state-level files cover 7 states and territories. California, Texas, Florida recorded the most babies named Schyler, while Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 10 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Schyler
The name Schyler is an anglicized form of the Dutch surname Schuyler, which originated in the Netherlands in the 17th century. The name Schuyler is derived from the Dutch word "schuil," meaning "shelter" or "hiding place," and likely referred to someone who lived in a secluded or sheltered location.
The earliest recorded use of the name Schuyler can be traced back to the Dutch colonization of New Netherland, which included parts of present-day New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. One of the most notable early bearers of the name was Pieter Schuyler, a Dutch-American military officer and landowner who lived from 1657 to 1724. He played a significant role in the colonial wars against the French and their Native American allies.
Another prominent figure with the name Schuyler was Philip Schuyler, an American general and statesman who served during the American Revolutionary War. Born in 1733 and died in 1804, he was a member of the Continental Congress and commanded the Northern Department of the Continental Army.
In the realm of literature, the name Schuyler gained notoriety through the character of Schuyler Van Alen in the popular young adult book series "The Blue Bloods" by Melissa de la Cruz. The series, which debuted in 2006, centers around a group of wealthy and privileged teenagers who are revealed to be part of an ancient vampire clan.
In the field of art, Schuyler Van Rensselaer (1827-1909) was an American philanthropist and art historian who played a significant role in the development of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. He served as the museum's first president and was instrumental in acquiring many of its early collections.
The name Schuyler has also been associated with the world of finance and business. Schuyler Merritt (1853-1953) was an American businessman and financier who co-founded the Merritt-Chapman & Scott Corporation, a prominent marine construction and salvage company in the early 20th century.
While the name Schyler has Dutch origins and historical ties to the Netherlands and early Dutch settlements in America, it has gained popularity and recognition across various fields throughout history, from military and politics to literature, art, and business.
People
Schyler + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Schyler as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with S
Other first names starting with S with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Schyler: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Schyler?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,339 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Schyler going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 255,978 US residents.
Is Schyler a common name?
We classify Schyler as "Rare". It ranks above 91.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,374 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Schyler most popular?
The single biggest year for Schyler was 1995, when 98 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Schyler is about 29 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Schyler a male name?
Yes, 56.2% of people registered as Schyler in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.