Given name & surname
Lyle
“from the island”
Lyle is used as a given name and a surname. One English interpretation is “from the island.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One English interpretation is “from the island.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is English.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Lyle through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 60,203
- 59,190 boys · 1,013 girls
- Most popular year
- 1926
- 1,073 babies
- 2025
- 216
- #1,047 for boys · #16,337 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −1%
- Steady
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 211 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 1,047 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 2.5% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 1,055 in 1922. It also appeared in 5 birth records for girls in 2025. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (19). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 28,748 as a first name in 2020; 12,364 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.
Lyle’s family of names
Lyle has a related form in Lisle. Lyle has a related form in Lysle. Lyle has a related form in Lile.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 9
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Lionelvariant · English
- Lyallvariant · English
- Lilevariant
- Lyellvariant · English
- Lyslevariant
- Lislevariant
- Lyalvariant · English
- Llylelikely variant
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People named Lyle
- Lyle FosterSouth African association football playerborn 2000
- Lyle LovettAmerican musicianborn 1957
- Lyle MaysAmerican jazz musician (1953–2020)
- Lyle CampbellAmerican Mesoamericanistborn 1942
- Lyle TalbotAmerican actor (1902-1996)
- Lyle WaggonerAmerican actor (1935-2020)
- Lyle BettgerAmerican actor (1915-2003)
- Lyle TaylorMontserrat footballerborn 1990
- Lyle R. WheelerAmerican art director (1905–1990)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Lyle, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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Eldon
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Norman
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