Boy name · Scottish Gaelic
Kyle
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: narrow straitKyle is a boy's name that comes from Scottish Gaelic and means "narrow strait". It is used in English and Scottish.
- Meaning
- Narrow strait
- Origin
- Scottish Gaelic
- Gender
- Boy
- US rank
- #509 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Kyle
As a boy's name, Kyle comes from Scottish Gaelic and means "narrow strait". It is used in English and Scottish.
Kyle is also a surname: the 2,081st most common in the 2020 US Census, held by 16,906 people. See the most common last names.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Kyle on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Kyle on 1 list.
“A narrow strait, from Gaelic caol; also an Ayrshire district.”
From Scottish boy names, scottish clan and surname names for boys
How popular is Kyle?
- US rank in 2025
- #509
- 594 babies, 348 per million boys
- Best rank
- #18 in 1990
- 22,710 babies that year
- Babies since 1881
- At least 485,780
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 17 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 48 per million |
| 1900s | 58 per million |
| 1910s | 67 per million |
| 1920s | 74 per million |
| 1930s | 85 per million |
| 1940s | 78 per million |
| 1950s | 286 per million |
| 1960s | 861 per million |
| 1970s | 1,977 per million |
| 1980s | 7,690 per million |
| 1990s | 9,252 per million |
| 2000s | 3,815 per million |
| 2010s | 1,284 per million |
| 2020s | 467 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #199 | #210 | #223 | #262 | #313 | #363 | #394 | #417 | #439 | #509 |
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 Kyle
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
Names with a similar meaning
- LaneA narrow path (English, unisex)
Middle names for Kyle
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
More boy names from Scottish Gaelic
- AngusOne strength (Scottish Gaelic, boy)
- KennethAnglicized Coinneach, handsome, and Cináed, perhaps born of fire (Scottish Gaelic, boy)
- BlairPlain, field (Scottish Gaelic, unisex)
- BowieYellow (Scottish Gaelic, boy)
- CameronCrooked nose (Scottish Gaelic, unisex)
- CampbellCrooked mouth (Scottish Gaelic, boy)
- ColinWhelp, young dog (Scottish Gaelic, boy)
- CraigRock, crag (Scottish Gaelic, boy)
- DonaldWorld ruler (Scottish Gaelic, boy)
- DonnchadhBrown warrior (Scottish Gaelic, boy)
- DouglasDark river (Scottish Gaelic, boy)
- DuffDark (Scottish Gaelic, boy)
- DuncanBrown warrior (Scottish Gaelic, boy)
- FearghasMan of vigor (Scottish Gaelic, boy)
- FinleyFair warrior (Scottish Gaelic, unisex)
- GlenValley (Scottish Gaelic, boy)
- GlennValley (Scottish Gaelic, unisex)
- KenzieSon of the handsome one (Scottish Gaelic, unisex)
Kyle: common questions
What does the name Kyle mean?
Kyle comes from Scottish Gaelic and means "narrow strait".
Is Kyle a boy or girl name?
Kyle is mainly a boy's name. In 2025, 17 girls and 594 boys in the US were named Kyle, according to Social Security Administration data.
Where does the name Kyle come from?
Kyle comes from Scottish Gaelic and means "narrow strait". Today it is used in English and Scottish.
How popular is the name Kyle?
Kyle ranked #509 in the US in 2025, with 594 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What names are similar to Kyle?
Names spelled like Kyle include Kale, Kaleb, Kalei, Kaleo and Kali.
What middle names go with Kyle?
Middle names that flow well with Kyle include Alexander, Arnold, Asher, Ezekiel and Gideon. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.