Lyle
Lyle was the 1047th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 211 babies. Its best year was 1918, when it ranked 145th; the most babies were born in 1922 (1,055). Over the last ten years it has moved up 32 places. More babies were named Lyle in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Meaning "the island" · French, Scottish
Say it LILE /laɪl/
- Rank in 2025
- #1,047 boys, down 37 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 211boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19221,055 babies
- Total since 1880
- 60,203babies recorded
What does the name Lyle mean?
Lyle is a Scottish surname from Old French l'isle, "the island", a name for someone from a place called Lisle or L'Isle. Like many Scottish surnames, it came into use as a first name in the 19th century. In the US Lyle was most common in the 1910s and 1920s and is given mainly to boys.
l'isle (Old French, “the island”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Lisle, Lyell.
See also: French names, names that mean meadow, hill or valley, names from places.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Lyle', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Wikipedia, 'Lyle (given name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation)
Lyle popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 1,013 since 1888, 5 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,047 | 211 |
| 2020 | #1,010 | 207 |
| 2010 | #1,572 | 101 |
| 2000 | #1,278 | 102 |
| 1990 | #633 | 257 |
| 1980 | #525 | 268 |
| 1970 | #376 | 465 |
| 1960 | #290 | 731 |
| 1950 | #223 | 828 |
| 1940 | #173 | 864 |
| 1930 | #160 | 947 |
| 1920 | #151 | 967 |
| 1910 | #216 | 117 |
| 1900 | #298 | 49 |
| 1890 | #382 | 22 |
| 1880 | #783 | 7 |
How popular is Lyle, counting every spelling?
Lyle has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #998 for boys in 2025, against #1,047 on the official list.
How many kids will share the name Lyle?
211 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Lyle (0.06 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Lyle born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 40 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Lyle.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Lyle?
About 24,900 people born in the US named Lyle are alive today, with a median age of 62; half are between 40 and 74. That makes Lyle a name most people associate with older generations.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Lyle by state
How common Lyle was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Iowa (3.9×), Wisconsin (3.8×), Minnesota (2.4×), Indiana (2.2×), Michigan (1.6×). In 21 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Lyle: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Lyle, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Lyle · Sibling names for Lyle
Questions about the name Lyle
What does Lyle mean?
Lyle means “"the island"” (French, Scottish origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Lyle?
Lyle was the 1047th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 211 babies. Its best year was 1918, when it ranked 145th; the most babies were born in 1922 (1,055). Over the last ten years it has moved up 32 places. More babies were named Lyle in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Is Lyle a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Lyle in the US.
Where is Lyle most popular?
In 2021–2025, Lyle was most common in Iowa (0.48 per 1,000 boys), followed by Wisconsin and Montana.