FastNamesKyle
Scottish and Celtic name meaning "Derived from Scottish Gaelic caol ('narrow', 'strait', or 'channel'), describing a geographical sound, isthmus, or someone hailing from the historic district of Kyle in Ayrshire, Scotland.". Ranked 509th for boys in 2025.
Meaning and origin of Kyle
Derived from Scottish Gaelic caol ('narrow', 'strait', or 'channel'), describing a geographical sound, isthmus, or someone hailing from the historic district of Kyle in Ayrshire, Scotland.
Linguistically, Kyle is classified under Scottish and Celtic naming traditions. It is typically pronounced "KYLE".
Popularity and ranking
In official US Social Security birth records from 1880 through 2025, Kyle has been given to a total of 485,780 boys. It has also been given to 8,933 girls.
Peak year: Kyle reached its highest relative share among boys in 1990, when 22,710 babies received the name (11,056 per million births).
All-time best rank: 18th place, first achieved in 1990.
Recent standing (2025): Ranked 509th with 594 births. Ten years earlier in 2015, it ranked 174th (down 335 spots).
Busiest decade: More boys were named Kyle in the 1990s than in any other decade (180,218 births).
| Decade | Recorded births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 19 |
| 1890s | 55 |
| 1900s | 79 |
| 1910s | 449 |
| 1920s | 814 |
| 1930s | 901 |
| 1940s | 1,155 |
| 1950s | 5,789 |
| 1960s | 16,579 |
| 1970s | 32,645 |
| 1980s | 141,947 |
| 1990s | 180,218 |
| 2000s | 76,156 |
| 2010s | 24,138 |
| 2020s | 4,836 |
Source: Social Security Administration, national baby name data, data through 2025. Names given to fewer than five babies of one sex in a year aren't published, so totals are a little lower than actual births.
Where Kyle is most common in the US
Accounting for when Kyle was in fashion nationally, it has been most heavily concentrated in the following states (measured against the expected rate from each state's births):
- Vermont: 2.0 times the national rate (1,552 births since 1910).
- Rhode Island: 1.7 times the national rate (2,725 births since 1910).
- Montana: 1.6 times the national rate (2,114 births since 1910).
- North Dakota: 1.6 times the national rate (2,006 births since 1910).
- New Hampshire: 1.6 times the national rate (2,852 births since 1910).
Source: Social Security Administration, baby names by state, data through 2025. Names given to fewer than five babies of one sex in a state in a year aren't published, so totals are a little lower than actual births.
How many people have the name Kyle?
About 460,000 living American boys and men share the name Kyle. Additionally, an estimated 8,300 living American girls and women share the name.
The median age of an American named Kyle is 34 years old.
Estimated from Social Security Administration records (1880–2025) and official SSA cohort mortality tables.
History of the name Kyle
Kyle traces its onomastic roots to the Scottish Gaelic topographical term caol, denoting a narrow body of water, sea strait, or channel connecting two larger bodies. It also directly names the historic territorial district of Kyle in Ayrshire, southwest Scotland, traditionally subdivided into Kyle Stewart and King's Kyle, which served as an ancient stronghold of Clan Stewart.
As a habitational surname, Kyle emerged in medieval Scottish rolls to identify families originating from this windswept maritime region. Over generations of migration, Scottish and Ulster-Scots emigrants brought the name to North America, where by the early-to-mid twentieth century it began seeing steady adoption as a crisp, monosyllabic baptismal name.
In the United States, Kyle experienced widespread national popularity between 1970 and 2000, consistently ranking among the top thirty boy names and peaking at rank twenty in 1990. Its brisk phonetic cadence, athletic associations, and Celtic heritage made it a generational staple before moderating into an enduring classic.
Notable people named Kyle
- Kyle MacLachlan (1959–), American Golden Globe-winning actor known for Twin Peaks
- Kyle Chandler (1965–), American Primetime Emmy Award-winning actor
- Kyle Lowry (1986–), American NBA All-Star point guard and Olympic champion
- Kyle Busch (1985–), American two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion
Variants and related names
Spelling variants
Diminutives and nicknames
Related names
Sources and references
- Patrick Hanks, Kate Hardcastle, Flavia Hodges. A Dictionary of First Names (2006), p. 160.
- George Fraser Black. The Surnames of Scotland (1946), p. 410.
- Douglas Harper. Online Etymology Dictionary. Reference link.