Kyle
Say it: KYLE/kaɪl/
BoyMeans narrow strait4 letters1 syllable
#124
in Ireland (2025)
#130 with spellings combined
44
babies in 2025
#32
best rank (2004)
4,998
babies since 1978
Down 96
10-year rank change
Kyle through the years
Compare with another name →Show the numbers
| Year | Babies (boys) | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 44 | #130 |
| 2024 | 35 | #147 |
| 2023 | 59 | #103 |
| 2022 | 62 | #103 |
| 2021 | 56 | #115 |
| 2020 | 76 | #86 |
| 2019 | 78 | #90 |
| 2018 | 98 | #70 |
| 2017 | 114 | #61 |
| 2016 | 191 | #40 |
| 2015 | 217 | #34 |
| 2014 | 222 | #34 |
| 2013 | 228 | #32 |
| 2012 | 252 | #32 |
| 2011 | 242 | #36 |
| 2010 | 232 | #37 |
| 2009 | 216 | #40 |
| 2008 | 223 | #38 |
| 2007 | 210 | #38 |
| 2006 | 202 | #38 |
| 2005 | 210 | #35 |
| 2004 | 216 | #32 |
| 2003 | 200 | #35 |
| 2002 | 190 | #36 |
| 2001 | 126 | #53 |
| 2000 | 139 | #50 |
| 1999 | 99 | #60 |
| 1998 | 96 | #55 |
| 1997 | 134 | #58 |
| 1996 | 100 | #71 |
| 1995 | 69 | #82 |
| 1994 | 53 | #102 |
| 1993 | 52 | #105 |
| 1992 | 52 | #104 |
| 1991 | 34 | #130 |
| 1990 | 19 | #161 |
| 1989 | 30 | #129 |
| 1988 | 48 | #101 |
| 1987 | 32 | #133 |
| 1986 | 22 | #146 |
| 1985 | 9 | #202 |
| 1984 | 3 | #318 |
| 1983 | 3 | #330 |
| 1978 | 5 | #255 |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies' Names (VSA50, VSA60), CC BY 4.0.
★ What does Kyle mean?
Narrow strait
Scottish surname and place name, from Gaelic caol (narrow, a strait).
Say it right
KYLE
The story of Kyle
Kyle comes from the Gaelic caol, meaning narrow, a word used for a narrow stretch of water or a strait. In Scots, kyle itself means a strait. The word appears in place names in Scotland, such as the Kyle of Lochalsh, and in Northern Ireland, and Kyle is also a district of Ayrshire on the south-west coast of Scotland. From those places came a Scottish surname, and from the surname a first name.
Kyle first reached three or more boys in a year in Ireland in 1978 and grew fast from the mid-1980s. It was a top-40 name for most of the 2000s and early 2010s, reaching number 32 in 2004, 2012 and 2013. The most boys were named Kyle in 2012, when there were 252 of them. In Northern Ireland its best place was 30th, in 1998. It has fallen back since, to number 124 on the CSO list in 2025.
Say it differently where you're from, or spotted something wrong? Tell us.
Sources
- Wiktionary: Kyle (English proper noun)
- Wikipedia: Kyle (given name)
- CSO VSA50, Boys Names in Ireland with 3 or More Occurrences
- NISRA, Baby Names in Northern Ireland
At a glance
Similar names
Sibling ideas
Spellings counted here
| Spelling | 2025 | All years |
|---|---|---|
| Kyle | 44 | 4,998 |
In Northern Ireland
Not in the 2025 list. Best rank #30 (1998); 1,379 babies since 1997.
Source: NISRA, Open Government Licence.