Find out how popular the last name Coyle is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Coyle.

Coyle, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Coyle surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Coyle in America

Coyle is the 1800th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Coyle surname appeared 19,931 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 7 people would have the surname Coyle.

We can also compare 2010 data for Coyle to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Coyle

The surname Coyle originated in Ireland and is derived from the Gaelic word "O'Comhdhail," meaning "descendant of the host or the hospitable one." Its origins can be traced back to the 11th or 12th century.

The name was predominantly found in County Donegal, where it was first recorded in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history written in the early 17th century. In this text, the name appears as "O'Comhdhail" and is associated with the Cenel Conaill dynasty that ruled parts of northwestern Ireland.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is Domhnall O'Comhdhail, a notable figure from County Donegal who lived in the late 12th century. He was a member of the ruling O'Donnell family and served as a chieftain and military commander.

Over time, the name evolved through various spellings such as O'Cowley, O'Coyle, and eventually Coyle. This evolution can be attributed to the anglicization of Irish names during the English conquest of Ireland.

Notable individuals with the surname Coyle include:

1. Joseph Coyle (1855-1923), an Irish-American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives for Pennsylvania.
2. Sir Nigel Coyle (1871-1957), a British naval officer and recipient of the Victoria Cross for his actions during World War I.
3. Kathleen Coyle (1906-1997), an Irish author and playwright known for her works on Irish cultural heritage and folklore.
4. Daniel Coyle (1936-2016), an American novelist and screenwriter best known for his detective fiction and crime novels.
5. Kevin Coyle (born 1954), an Irish former professional football player and manager who played for clubs like Burnley and Middlesbrough.

The surname Coyle has also been associated with several place names, such as Coyle's Muir in Scotland and Coyle's Hill in Newfoundland, Canada, further highlighting its historical significance and geographical spread.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Coyle

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Coyle.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Coyle was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Coyle has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Coyle was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Coyle, please contact us.

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