Given name & surname · also Scottish
Kyle
“from the narrow channel”
Kyle is used as a given name and a surname. One interpretation is “from the narrow channel.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One interpretation is “from the narrow channel.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Scottish.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1881. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Kyle through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 494,713
- 485,780 boys · 8,933 girls
- Most popular year
- 1990
- 22,947 babies
- 2025
- 611
- #509 for boys · #6,701 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −53%
- Cooling
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 97% boys.
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 594 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 509 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 52.8% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 22,710 in 1990. It also appeared in 17 birth records for girls in 2025. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (76). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 436,151 as a first name in 2020; 16,906 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Kyle’s family of names
In English usage, Kyle has a short form in Kye. In English usage, Kyle has a feminine form in Kyla. Kyle has a related form in Kylie.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 20
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 3
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Kyle
- Kyle WalkerEnglish association football player (born 1990)
- Kyle MacLachlanAmerican actorborn 1959
- Kyle LarsonAmerican racing driver (born 1992)
- Kyle ChandlerAmerican actor (born 1965)
- Kyle GassAmerican singer and musician (born 1960)
- Kyle LaffertyNorthern Irish association footballerborn 1987
- Kyle LowryAmerican basketball player (born 1986)
- Kyle Walker-PetersEnglish association football playerborn 1997
- Kyle KorverAmerican basketball player (born 1981)
Characters named Kyle: Kyle Reese (the Terminator franchise), Kyle Katarn (Star Wars), Kyle Rayner (fictional comic book superhero appearing in books published by DC Comics), Kyle Harmon (fictional character).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Kyle, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Corey
“from the hollow; of the churning waters”
96% boys · 4% girls
Casey
“vigilant, wakeful” · “a vigilant woman”
74% boys · 26% girls
Cody
“one who is helpful; a wealthy woman” · “acting as a cushion”
98% boys · 2% girls
Conor
“lover of hounds” · “a wolf-lover”
>99% boys
Sean
“God is gracious”
>99% boys
Dillon
“resembling a lion; a faithful man”
89% boys · 11% girls
Malcolm
“devotee of St Columba” · “dove”
>99% boys
Coleman
“one who burns charcoal; resembling a dove”
>99% boys