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

Kyles, 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 Kyles surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kyles in America

Kyles is the 6853rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kyles surname appeared 4,911 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Kyles.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kyles 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 Kyles

The surname Kyles is of Scottish origin, with its roots traced back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated from the Gaelic word "coille," which translates to "wood" or "forest." This suggests that the name may have been derived from a topographical feature, possibly referring to someone who lived near a wooded area or a forest.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Kyles surname can be found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from the 14th century, where it appears as "de Kyle." This spelling variation indicates that the name may have been associated with the region of Kyle, located in the southwestern part of Scotland, which encompasses areas like Ayrshire and Renfrewshire.

The name Kyles is also linked to the Isle of Bute, an island off the west coast of Scotland, where a narrow strait separating the island from the mainland is known as the Kyles of Bute. This geographic feature likely influenced the surname, with some families adopting the name to reflect their association with the area.

In the 16th century, the Kyles surname gained prominence with the birth of James Kyles (1515-1588), a Scottish clergyman and reformer who played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation in Scotland. Another notable figure bearing this name was John Kyles (1630-1698), a Scottish minister and scholar who served as the principal of the University of Edinburgh.

During the 17th century, the Kyles surname appeared in various historical records, including the Register of the Privy Council of Scotland, where individuals with this surname were mentioned in connection with legal proceedings and land disputes.

Other notable individuals with the Kyles surname include William Kyles (1765-1842), a Scottish merchant and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Kincardineshire, and Thomas Kyles (1825-1891), a Scottish industrialist and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the development of the town of Johnstone in Renfrewshire.

Throughout history, the Kyles surname has been linked to various place names and spellings, such as Kyle, Kylle, and Kyll, reflecting the regional variations and linguistic influences that shaped the name over time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kyles

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

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

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

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