Gyle
A variant form of the English name Kyle, derived from Gaelic.
Name Census estimates that about 0 living Americans carry the first name Gyle. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Gyle today is around 0 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Gyle births was 1922 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Gyle. 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 Gyle. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
0
~ - Americans
Peak year
1922
5 babies that year
Average age
-
1922 SSA rank
#4,575
Tracked since 1922
Popularity
Gyle: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Gyle 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 Gyle 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 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Gyle
The name Gyle has its origins in the Old English language, dating back to the Anglo-Saxon period in Britain from the 5th to the 11th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "gyl," which means "a loud or merry noise," or "a revel or feast." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with boisterous or festive individuals.
In medieval times, the name Gyle was relatively uncommon but did appear in various historical records and documents. One of the earliest recorded instances can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where a landowner named Gyle is mentioned in the county of Worcestershire. This indicates that the name was in use among the Anglo-Saxon nobility or gentry during the Norman conquest of England.
The name Gyle also had some religious associations in the Middle Ages. In the 13th century, there was a noted Catholic priest and theologian named Gyle of Lessines, who hailed from the Low Countries (modern-day Belgium and the Netherlands). He is credited with writing several important theological treatises and participating in academic debates of the time.
Moving into the Renaissance period, a notable figure named Gyle Mounford was a member of the English gentry and a supporter of the House of York during the Wars of the Roses in the 15th century. Records indicate that he fought alongside Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485.
In the 17th century, a man named Gyle Shottesbrooke was a respected English painter and portraitist who was active during the reign of King Charles I. Several of his works depicting members of the royal court and aristocracy can still be found in various art collections across Britain.
Another historical figure bearing the name Gyle was a Scottish soldier named Gyle MacGregor, who fought alongside the Jacobite forces during the risings of 1715 and 1745. He was known for his bravery and loyalty to the Stuart cause and is mentioned in several contemporary accounts of the Jacobite rebellions.
While the name Gyle may have declined in popularity in more recent times, it has left an indelible mark on history, with numerous notable individuals bearing this moniker over the centuries. Its origins in Old English and associations with merriment, religion, and military valor have contributed to its rich and diverse cultural legacy.
People
Gyle + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Gyle as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with G
Other first names starting with G with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Gyle: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Gyle?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 0 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Gyle 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 Gyle a common name?
We classify Gyle 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, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Gyle most popular?
The single biggest year for Gyle was 1922, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Gyle 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 Gyle in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Gyle a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Gyle 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 Gyle still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Gyle 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 Gyle 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 people are called Gyle?
You can see how many people have the name Gyle on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.