Argyl
A Scottish name derived from a district name in Argyllshire.
Name Census estimates that about 0 living Americans carry the first name Argyl. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Argyl today is around 0 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Argyl births was 1920 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Argyl. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Argyl. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
0
~ - Americans
Peak year
1920
5 babies that year
Average age
-
1924 SSA rank
#4,379
Tracked since 1920
Popularity
Argyl: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Argyl by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Argyl during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1920s | 10 | 0 | 10 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Argyl
The given name Argyl has its origins in the ancient Celtic language, which was spoken by various tribes across parts of Western Europe, including modern-day Britain, Ireland, and France. The word "Argyl" is believed to be derived from the Celtic root "arg," which means "bright" or "shining."
In its earliest recorded form, the name was spelled "Arghyll," and it was commonly used by the Gaelic-speaking clans of Scotland's Argyll region. This area, located in the western Highlands, was once a powerful stronghold of Celtic culture and tradition. The name's association with this region suggests that it may have been adopted as a personal name by clan leaders or prominent figures within the local community.
Historically, the name Argyl has been linked to various individuals of note. One of the earliest recorded bearers of this name was Arghyll of Islay, a Scottish prince who lived in the 12th century and was a prominent figure in the affairs of the Kingdom of the Isles. Another notable figure was Archibald Campbell, the 9th Earl of Argyll, who lived from 1629 to 1685 and played a significant role in the political and religious conflicts of his time, including the Glorious Revolution.
In the realm of literature, the name Argyl appears in the epic poem "The Lady of the Lake" by Sir Walter Scott, published in 1810. In the poem, one of the characters is a young warrior named Argyll, who fights alongside the legendary Scottish hero, Sir Roderick Dhu.
Moving forward in time, a prominent bearer of the name was Argyll Robertson, a Scottish ophthalmologist who lived from 1837 to 1909. He is best known for describing a clinical sign known as the "Argyll Robertson pupil," which is a significant diagnostic indicator in certain neurological conditions.
Another noteworthy individual with the name Argyl was Argyll MacCallum, a Canadian artist and sculptor who lived from 1910 to 1977. He was renowned for his works depicting scenes from the daily life and culture of the Indigenous peoples of Canada's Northwest Territories.
While the name Argyl has its roots in the Celtic traditions of Western Europe, it has since been adopted and used across various cultures and regions around the world, often with slight variations in spelling or pronunciation. However, its historical connections to the Scottish Highlands and the legacy of the Gaelic-speaking clans remain an integral part of its cultural significance.
People
Argyl + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Argyl as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with A
Other first names starting with A with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Argyl: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Argyl?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 0 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Argyl going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about - US residents.
Is Argyl a common name?
We classify Argyl as "Very Rare". It ranks above 2.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 10 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Argyl most popular?
The single biggest year for Argyl was 1920, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Argyl is about 0 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Argyl in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Argyl a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Argyl in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Argyl still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Argyl in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Argyl can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many Americans are named Argyl?
See how many people have the name Argyl on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.