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

Lyle, 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 Lyle surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lyle in America

Lyle is the 2731st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lyle surname appeared 13,192 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Lyle.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lyle 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 Lyle

The surname Lyle is of Anglo-Scottish origin, derived from the Old English word "hyll" or the Old French word "l'isle", both meaning "hill" or "island". It is believed to have originated in the late 11th or early 12th century.

Lyle was initially a topographic name given to someone who lived on a hill or an island. The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 12th century in Scotland, where it was spelled as "Lyle" or "Lile".

In the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a record of Scottish landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England, several individuals with the surname Lyle are mentioned, including Robert de Lyle from Renfrewshire and Walter de Lyle from Lanarkshire.

The Lyle family was prominent in Scotland during the Middle Ages, and various branches held lands in different regions. One notable member was Sir Robert Lyle, who fought alongside Robert the Bruce during the Scottish Wars of Independence in the early 14th century.

In England, the surname can be traced back to the 13th century, with variations such as "Lyle", "Lile", and "Lisle". The Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landowners in England compiled in 1086, does not mention the name Lyle, suggesting it emerged later.

Prominent individuals with the surname Lyle include:

1. Sir Robert Lyle (c. 1290 - c. 1350), a Scottish knight and companion of Robert the Bruce.
2. Deacon William Lyle (1605 - 1684), a Scottish settler in New England and one of the founders of Hartford, Connecticut.
3. John Lyle (1734 - 1806), an American Revolutionary War soldier and early settler in Tennessee.
4. Sir Onesiphorus Tyndal-Bruce Lyle (1839 - 1909), a British naval officer and recipient of the Victoria Cross.
5. David Naylor Lyle (1846 - 1917), a Scottish businessman and co-founder of Lyle's Golden Syrup.

The name Lyle has also been associated with various place names, such as Lyle Hill in Gloucestershire, England, and Lyle Creek in British Columbia, Canada, reflecting its topographic origins.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lyle

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

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

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

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