Kyle
Meaningnarrow strait · Scottish
- US rank
- #508
- Syllables
- 2
- Peak
- #18 in 1990
594 babies were named Kyle in the US in 2025. It has dropped 195 places in five years.
Found on lists
Save adds it to your list. Vote moves it up the top voted names.
US births per million girls, 1915–2025
US births per million boys, 1881–2025
Most popular states (2025)
Similar names
Popularity: U.S. Social Security Administration (babies with 5+ births per year).
Did you know?
A few things about Kyle you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.
Famous Kyle
Kyle Walker
English association football player (born 1990)
Choose Kyle and your child shares a first name with Kyle Walker, an English association football player. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Kyle, like who?” Kyle Walker's Wikipedia article is available in 63 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.
Read about Kyle Walker on Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)Photo: Кирилл Венедиктов, CC BY-SA 3.0 (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons
- How commonAbout 1 in every 2,875 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Kyle, 594 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Kyle would very likely be the only one.
- HistoryKyle first shows up in US birth records in 1881, the first year at least 5 babies got it. It has been in use for 144 years since.
- Best yearIt was far more popular in 1990, when it ranked #18. Today it's #508, so it could be due a comeback.
- Then vs nowKyle was 18× more common in 2000 than it is today. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 164 baby boys; in 2025, about 1 in 2,875.
- TrendKyle has slipped 195 places over the last five years and now sits at #508. Good news if you want a familiar name that fewer kids will share.
- Where it's lovedKyle is most popular in New York, where it ranks #292, followed by Connecticut (#382) and Ohio (#395). It's in the top 1,000 in 32 states.
- MeaningIn Scottish, Kyle means “narrow strait”. Our records link it to Irish and Scottish roots.
About the name Kyle
Kyle is a boy name of Irish and Scottish origin meaning “narrow strait”. It has 4 letters and 2 syllables, starting with K and ending in “-yle”. US birth records list Kyle for boys from 1881 to 2025, in 136 of those 145 years. Its best year was 1990, when it ranked #18 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #508, with 594 babies.
Origin:Irish namesScottish names
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 1.0 | 980,392 girls |
| 1930s | 1.1 | 952,381 girls |
| 1940s | 7.1 | 140,056 girls |
| 1950s | 87 | 11,472 girls |
| 1960s | 61 | 16,415 girls |
| 1970s | 63 | 15,964 girls |
| 1980s | 140 | 7,121 girls |
| 1990s | 77 | 13,009 girls |
| 2000s | 26 | 38,388 girls |
| 2010s | 30 | 33,135 girls |
| 2020s | 19 | 53,428 girls |
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 19 | 53,160 boys |
| 1890s | 49 | 20,500 boys |
| 1900s | 57 | 17,547 boys |
| 1910s | 67 | 14,999 boys |
| 1920s | 74 | 13,545 boys |
| 1930s | 85 | 11,726 boys |
| 1940s | 78 | 12,850 boys |
| 1950s | 280 | 3,569 boys |
| 1960s | 877 | 1,140 boys |
| 1970s | 1,976 | 506 boys |
| 1980s | 7,618 | 131 boys |
| 1990s | 9,222 | 108 boys |
| 2000s | 3,837 | 261 boys |
| 2010s | 1,278 | 782 boys |
| 2020s | 466 | 2,144 boys |
Other spellings of Kyle
More Irish boy names
- Boy name: Liam · resolute protector
- Unisex name: Owen · well-born
- Unisex name: Logan · little hollow
- Unisex name: Nolan · descendant of Nuallán
- Unisex name: Gael · a Gael
- Boy name: Arthur · possibly bear
- Unisex name: Ryan · little king
- Boy name: Dominic · of the Lord
Questions about the name Kyle
What does the name Kyle mean?
Kyle means “narrow strait” in Scottish.
What is the origin of the name Kyle?
Kyle has Irish, Scottish roots in our records. Other Irish names include Liam, Owen, Logan.
Is Kyle a boy or girl name?
Kyle is a boy name, though a few girls get it too.
How popular is the name Kyle?
Kyle ranked #508 for US boys in 2025, given to 594 babies. Its best year was 1990 (#18).