Lyle

Did you know?

A few things about Lyle you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.

⭐ Famous Lyle

Lyle Foster

South African association football player

Choose Lyle and your child shares a first name with Lyle Foster, a South African association football player. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Lyle, like who?” Lyle Foster's Wikipedia article is available in 33 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Lyle Foster on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: Timmy96, CC0 (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 8,097 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Lyle, 211 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Lyle would very likely be the only one.
• 📜HistoryLyle has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Lyles, and counting.
• 🏆Best yearIt was far more popular in 1918, when it ranked #145. Today it's #1,046, so it could be due a comeback.
• 📈Then vs nowLyle is 2.4× more common today than it was in 2000. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 19,268 baby boys; in 2025, about 1 in 8,097.
• 🍂TrendLyle has slipped 36 places over the last five years and now sits at #1,046. Good news if you want a familiar name that fewer kids will share.
• 📍Where it's lovedLyle is most popular in Maine, where it ranks #234, followed by Wisconsin (#393) and Iowa (#448). It's in the top 1,000 in 15 states.
• 💬MeaningIn French, Lyle means “from the island”. Our records link it to Celtic and French roots.

About the name Lyle

Lyle is a boy name of Celtic and French origin meaning “from the island”. It has 4 letters and 2 syllables, starting with L and ending in “-yle”. US birth records list Lyle for boys from 1880 to 2025, in 146 of those 146 years. Its best year was 1918, when it ranked #145 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #1,046, with 211 babies.

Origin:Celtic namesFrench names