2000
#1,690
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 19,424
First available Census row
Per 100,000 7.20
Uncommon Last name
Coyle
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Giolla Comhghaill," meaning "descendant of the servant of St. Comgall."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 22,275 Americans carry the last name Coyle. That puts it at #1,811 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 6.50 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 15,387 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Coyle surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Coyle with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
22K
1 in 15,387
Census rank
#1,811
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
6.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
19K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 19,425 bearers of the surname Coyle in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 6.50 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1811th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Coyle, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Coyle
Among Census respondents with the surname Coyle, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Coyle bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Coyle surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.1% · 17,700
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 623
- Two or more races3.2% · 618
- Black or African American1.1% · 217
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 155
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 112
Timeline
Historical Census data for Coyle
Coyle appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#1,800
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 19,931
+507 bearers (+2.6%)
Per 100,000 6.76
Rank movement Down 110 places
2020
#1,811
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 19,425
-506 bearers (-2.5%)
Per 100,000 6.50
Rank movement Down 11 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,690 | 19,424 | 7.20 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,800 | 19,931 | 6.76 | +507 bearers (+2.6%) | Down 110 places |
| 2020 | #1,811 | 19,425 | 6.50 | -506 bearers (-2.5%) | Down 11 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Coyle surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,800 | #1,811 | -0.6% |
| Count | 19,931 | 19,425 | -2.5% |
| Per 100K | 6.76 | 6.50 | -3.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Coyle bearers went from 19,931 to 19,425 (-2.5% change). The surname moved down 11 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,800 to #1,811.
FAQ
Coyle surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Coyle?
Name Census estimates that about 22,275 living Americans carry the surname Coyle. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 15,387 residents.
How common is Coyle?
Coyle ranks #1,811 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 6.50 per 100,000 residents, which is about 6 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 19,425 people with the surname Coyle. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (22,275), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 6.5 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 6.50 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 6 of them to have the surname Coyle.
Has Coyle become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Coyle went from 19,931 recorded bearers to 19,425. That is a decrease of 506 (-2.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,800 to #1,811.
What does the Census say about the background of Coyle?
Among Census respondents with the surname Coyle, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (3.2%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Coyle in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.1% (17,700 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Coyle appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.1%), Hispanic (3.2%), Two or More Races (3.2%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Coyle (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Coyle mean?
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Giolla Comhghaill," meaning "descendant of the servant of St. Comgall." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Coyle (6.50 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Coyle?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.