Boy name · Old French
Lyle
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: islandLyle is a boy's name that comes from Old French and means "island". It is used in English and Scottish.
- Meaning
- Island
- Origin
- Old French
- Gender
- Boy
- US rank
- #1047 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Lyle
As a boy's name, Lyle comes from Old French and means "island". It is used in English and Scottish.
Lyle is also a surname: the 2,836th most common in the 2020 US Census, held by 12,364 people. See the most common last names.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Lyle on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Lyle on 3 lists.
“From Old French for the island; calm and kind”
From Redneck names for boys, classic country boy names
“Island; Old French. From the Norman French l'isle”
From Old man names, short and sturdy old guy names
“Norman French de l'isle, from the island”
From Pretty last names, short aesthetic last names
How popular is Lyle?
- US rank in 2025
- #1,047
- 211 babies, 124 per million boys
- Best rank
- #145 in 1918
- Most babies: 1,055 in 1922
- Babies since 1880
- At least 59,190
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 115 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 325 per million |
| 1900s | 496 per million |
| 1910s | 847 per million |
| 1920s | 922 per million |
| 1930s | 857 per million |
| 1940s | 579 per million |
| 1950s | 411 per million |
| 1960s | 273 per million |
| 1970s | 179 per million |
| 1980s | 137 per million |
| 1990s | 77 per million |
| 2000s | 47 per million |
| 2010s | 94 per million |
| 2020s | 121 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #983 | #994 | #947 | #928 | #1,010 | #1,013 | #1,056 | #1,107 | #1,022 | #1,047 |
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 Lyle
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
Names with a similar meaning
- HolgerIsland spear (Old Norse, boy)
- IonaFrom the island of Iona (Scottish place name, girl)
- IslaFrom the island of Islay (Scottish place name, girl)
- LindsayLincoln island (Old English, unisex)
- EydisIsland or good fortune and goddess (Old Norse, girl)
- EysteinIsland or good fortune and stone (Old Norse, boy)
- IslayFrom the island of Islay (Scottish place name, unisex)
- ItamarDate palm island (Hebrew, boy)
- IzaroIsland (Basque, girl)
- KelseyCēol's island (Old English, unisex)
Middle names for Lyle
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
More boy names from Old French
- BellamyBeautiful friend (Old French, unisex)
- GrantGreat, large (Old French, boy)
- WallaceForeigner, Welshman (Old French, boy)
- AlgernonHaving a mustache (Old French, boy)
- ArcherBowman (Old French, boy)
- BaileySteward, bailiff (Old French, unisex)
- CorbinRaven (Old French, boy)
- CurtisCourteous (Old French, boy)
- DarrellFrom Airelle, a place in Normandy (Old French, boy)
- FletcherArrow maker (Old French, boy)
Lyle: common questions
What does the name Lyle mean?
Lyle comes from Old French and means "island".
Is Lyle a boy or girl name?
Lyle is mainly a boy's name. In 2025, 5 girls and 211 boys in the US were named Lyle, according to Social Security Administration data.
Where does the name Lyle come from?
Lyle comes from Old French and means "island". Today it is used in English and Scottish.
How popular is the name Lyle?
Lyle ranked #1,047 in the US in 2025, with 211 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What names are similar to Lyle?
Names spelled like Lyle include Luke, Lynn, Lalo, Lane and Lee.
What middle names go with Lyle?
Middle names that flow well with Lyle include Cedar, Drake, Frederick, Josiah and Nathaniel. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.