2000
#1,861
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 17,750
First available Census row
Per 100,000 6.58
Uncommon Last name
Kyle
An Irish toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "straight" or "narrow," possibly referring to a strait or channel.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 19,387 Americans carry the last name Kyle. That puts it at #2,081 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 5.66 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 17,680 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kyle 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 Kyle with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
19K
1 in 17,680
Census rank
#2,081
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
5.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
17K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 16,906 bearers of the surname Kyle in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 5.66 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2081st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kyle, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.9%. The next largest groups are Black (13.9%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kyle
The surname Kyle originates from the Gaelic language and is believed to have its roots in Scotland, where it first appeared in the 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic word "coill," which means "wood" or "forest," suggesting that the name may have been given to someone who lived near or worked in a wooded area.
In the early records of Scotland, the name was often spelled as "Kyll" or "Kylle," reflecting the pronunciation of the time. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a historical document that lists Scottish landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England.
The Kyle surname is also associated with several place names in Scotland, such as Kyle of Lochalsh and Kyle of Tongue, which further reinforces its Scottish origins. The name Kyle of Lochalsh, for example, is derived from the Gaelic "Cill Iogha," meaning "the church of Iona."
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Kyle. One of the earliest known was John Kyle (c. 1520-1588), a Scottish theologian and reformer who played a significant role in the Scottish Reformation. Another notable figure was Thomas Kyle (1769-1853), a Scottish-American Presbyterian minister and educator who founded the Uniontown Academy in Pennsylvania.
In the 19th century, James Kyle (1808-1859) was a Scottish-American politician who served as a United States Representative from Pennsylvania. Later, in the 20th century, David Brandon Kyle (1919-2009) was an American World War II veteran and author, known for his book "The Immortal Eighth Air Force."
More recently, Jeremiah Kyle (born 1978) is an American actor and producer, best known for his roles in films such as "American Pie" and "Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde."
Throughout its history, the Kyle surname has maintained its Scottish roots and has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including theologians, politicians, authors, and actors. While the name may have evolved in spelling over time, its connection to the ancient Gaelic language and Scottish heritage remains evident.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kyle
Among Census respondents with the surname Kyle, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.9%. The next largest groups are Black (13.9%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Kyle 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 Kyle surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White76.9% · 12,998
- Black or African American13.9% · 2,347
- Two or more races4.5% · 758
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 594
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 141
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 68
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kyle
Kyle 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
#1,924
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 18,721
+971 bearers (+5.5%)
Per 100,000 6.35
Rank movement Down 63 places
2020
#2,081
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 16,906
-1,815 bearers (-9.7%)
Per 100,000 5.66
Rank movement Down 157 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,861 | 17,750 | 6.58 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,924 | 18,721 | 6.35 | +971 bearers (+5.5%) | Down 63 places |
| 2020 | #2,081 | 16,906 | 5.66 | -1,815 bearers (-9.7%) | Down 157 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 Kyle 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 | #1,924 | #2,081 | -8.2% |
| Count | 18,721 | 16,906 | -9.7% |
| Per 100K | 6.35 | 5.66 | -10.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kyle bearers went from 18,721 to 16,906 (-9.7% change). The surname moved down 157 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,924 to #2,081.
FAQ
Kyle surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kyle?
Name Census estimates that about 19,387 living Americans carry the surname Kyle. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 17,680 residents.
How common is Kyle?
Kyle ranks #2,081 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 5.66 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 16,906 people with the surname Kyle. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (19,387), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 5.66 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 5.66 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 Kyle.
Has Kyle become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kyle went from 18,721 recorded bearers to 16,906. That is a decrease of 1,815 (-9.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,924 to #2,081.
What does the Census say about the background of Kyle?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kyle, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.9%. The next largest groups are Black (13.9%) and Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Kyle in the 2020 Census, accounting for 76.9% (12,998 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kyle appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (76.9%), Black (13.9%), Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Kyle (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 Kyle mean?
An Irish toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "straight" or "narrow," possibly referring to a strait or channel. 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 Kyle (5.66 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 last name Kyle?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans have the surname Kyle at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.