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

Doyle, 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 Doyle surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Doyle in America

Doyle is the 441st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Doyle surname appeared 74,458 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 25 people would have the surname Doyle.

We can also compare 2010 data for Doyle 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 Doyle

The surname Doyle originated in Ireland, with its earliest known roots dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Irish Gaelic word "Ó Dúghaill," which means "descendant of Dughal." Dughal was a personal name that meant "dark stranger" or "dark-featured."

The name Doyle was first recorded in County Wicklow, a region located on the east coast of Ireland. It is believed that the Doyle family was part of the Ui Feillmide sept, a branch of the Ui Dunchadha dynasty that ruled over the area now known as County Wexford.

One of the earliest references to the Doyle name can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a historical chronicle that covers the history of Ireland from the earliest times to 1616. The annals mention a Doyle chieftain named Donnell O'Doyle, who lived in the late 12th century.

In the 13th century, the Doyle family became prominent landowners in County Wexford. They were known as the "Lords of Fertyr," a territory that encompassed the modern-day town of Enniscorthy. The Doyles played a significant role in the Anglo-Norman conquest of Ireland, siding with the English forces against the native Irish chieftains.

One of the most famous members of the Doyle family was Sir John Doyle (1786-1834), a British army officer and politician who served as Governor of Guernsey and Lieutenant-Governor of Grenada. He was also a talented caricaturist and satirist, known for his political cartoons that mocked the British establishment.

Another notable figure was Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930), the Scottish author best known for creating the iconic detective Sherlock Holmes. Although not directly related to the Irish Doyle family, Sir Arthur was of Irish descent, and his surname is believed to have derived from the same Gaelic origins.

In the late 19th century, the Doyle name gained prominence in the United States with the arrival of Irish immigrants fleeing the Great Famine. One of the most notable American Doyles was Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's nephew, Sir John Doyle (1888-1962), who became a successful artist and illustrator.

Another influential American Doyle was James E. Doyle (1894-1959), a prominent labor leader and politician who served as the 34th Governor of Wisconsin from 1959 to 1963.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Doyle

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

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 Doyle 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 Doyle 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 Doyle was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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