Boy name · Irish Gaelic
Doyle
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: descendant of the dark strangerDoyle is a boy's name that comes from Irish Gaelic and means "descendant of the dark stranger". It is used in English and Irish.
- Meaning
- Descendant of the dark stranger
- Origin
- Irish Gaelic
- Gender
- Boy
- US rank
- #7815 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Doyle
As a boy's name, Doyle comes from Irish Gaelic and means "descendant of the dark stranger". It is used in English and Irish.
In Irish, say DOYL. Respellings are a guide; accents vary by region.
Doyle is also a surname: the 447th most common in the 2020 US Census, held by 71,863 people. See the most common last names.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Doyle on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Doyle on 3 lists.
“From Ó Dubhghaill, descendant of the dark stranger. Say DOYL.”
From Irish boy names, irish surnames used as boy names
“Ó Dubhghaill, descendant of the dark foreigner, a Viking”
From Irish last names, most common Irish last names
“Ó Dubhghaill, from dubh gall, dark stranger”
From Pretty last names, pretty Irish, Scottish and Welsh surnames
How popular is Doyle?
- US rank in 2025
- #7,815
- 10 babies, 6 per million boys
- Best rank
- #195 in 1931
- 667 babies that year
- Babies since 1889
- At least 30,400
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 8 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 76 per million |
| 1900s | 159 per million |
| 1910s | 308 per million |
| 1920s | 447 per million |
| 1930s | 570 per million |
| 1940s | 371 per million |
| 1950s | 251 per million |
| 1960s | 180 per million |
| 1970s | 89 per million |
| 1980s | 36 per million |
| 1990s | 21 per million |
| 2000s | 14 per million |
| 2010s | 7 per million |
| 2020s | 6 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #7,746 | #5,155 | #6,442 | #7,290 | #7,152 | #6,105 | #9,210 | #8,426 | #7,380 | #7,815 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Names spelled like Doyle
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- DaleValley (Old English, unisex)
- DoyunThe way, sincere (depends on hanja) (Korean, boy)
Names with a similar meaning
- MelaniaBlack, dark (Greek, girl)
- MelanieBlack, dark (Greek, girl)
- CodyDescendant of the helpful one (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- DonovanDark brown (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- DouglasDark river (Scottish Gaelic, boy)
- DuffDark (Scottish Gaelic, boy)
- FlynnDescendant of the ruddy one (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- KedarDark (Hebrew, boy)
- KeiraDark one (Irish Gaelic, girl)
- KieranLittle dark one (Irish Gaelic, boy)
Middle names for Doyle
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
More boy names from Irish Gaelic
- OscarPossibly deer friend (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- FinnFair, white (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- FergusMan of vigor (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- KevinGentle birth (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- RonanLittle seal (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- RoryRed king (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- AidanLittle fire (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- AidenLittle fire (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- AodhFire, flame (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- AydenVariant of Aidan, little fire (Irish Gaelic, boy)
Doyle: common questions
What does the name Doyle mean?
Doyle comes from Irish Gaelic and means "descendant of the dark stranger".
Is Doyle a boy or girl name?
Doyle is mainly a boy's name.
Where does the name Doyle come from?
Doyle comes from Irish Gaelic and means "descendant of the dark stranger". Today it is used in English and Irish.
How popular is the name Doyle?
Doyle ranked #7,815 in the US in 2025, with 10 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What names are similar to Doyle?
Names spelled like Doyle include Dale and Doyun.
What middle names go with Doyle?
Middle names that flow well with Doyle include Augustine, Bernard, Constantine, Emmett and Sawyer. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.