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

Hoyle, 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 Hoyle surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hoyle in America

Hoyle is the 3857th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hoyle surname appeared 9,192 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Hoyle.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hoyle 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 Hoyle

The surname HOYLE has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to be a topographic name derived from the Old English word "hol," meaning a small valley or hollow. This suggests that the earliest bearers of the name likely resided in or near such a geographical feature.

The earliest known record of the surname HOYLE appears in the Hundred Rolls of Yorkshire in 1273, where one William del Hol was mentioned. This indicates that the name was well-established in the northern counties of England by the 13th century.

Over time, the name evolved from its original form of "del Hol" to "Hole" and eventually "Hoyle." This change in spelling was likely influenced by regional dialects and the adaptation of the name to local pronunciations.

In the 14th century, the HOYLE surname appeared in the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire in 1379, where John del Hoyle and Agnes del Hoyle were listed. This record suggests that the name had spread across different areas of Yorkshire by that time.

One notable bearer of the HOYLE surname was Edmond Hoyle (1672-1769), a renowned English writer and authority on the rules of various games, particularly whist. His book "A Short Treatise on the Game of Whist" became a standard reference work and contributed to the popularization of the term "according to Hoyle," which is still used today to indicate adherence to established rules or norms.

Another famous HOYLE was Sir William Hoyle (1860-1940), a British civil engineer and architect who designed several notable buildings in India during the British Raj, including the Victoria Memorial in Kolkata.

In the United States, the HOYLE surname can be traced back to early colonial times. One of the earliest recorded instances is that of Thomas Hoyle, who arrived in Virginia in 1635.

The HOYLE name has also been associated with several places in England, such as Hoyle Mill in Lancashire and Hoyle House in Yorkshire, further reinforcing its connection to the region's geography and history.

It's worth noting that the HOYLE surname has undergone various spelling variations throughout history, including Hoil, Hoile, Hoyle, and Hoyll, reflecting the fluidity of surname spellings in earlier times.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hoyle

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

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

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

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