Declining since 1985, #7,679 for boys today.
Popularity of Doyle since 1889
Babies named Doyle per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 9 |
| 1890s | 87 |
| 1900s | 216 |
| 1910s | 2,054 |
| 1920s | 4,930 |
| 1930s | 6,021 |
| 1940s | 5,529 |
| 1950s | 5,079 |
| 1960s | 3,465 |
| 1970s | 1,462 |
| 1980s | 670 |
| 1990s | 412 |
| 2000s | 273 |
| 2010s | 130 |
| 2020s | 63 |
Meaning & origin
Doyle is a surname-turned-first-name with strong Irish roots. Its peak year was 1931, when it ranked among the top 1,000 names, but it has been falling in popularity since 1985. Currently ranked 7,679th, it is given to about 1 in every 170,808 boys in the United States. Doyle was first recorded in U.S. birth data in 1889, reflecting its late 19th-century adoption as a given name. While never common, it retains a distinctive, literary feel, partly due to the famous author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The name is most often associated with Irish heritage and has not seen a significant revival in recent decades.
Doyle is derived from the Irish Gaelic surname Ó Dubhghaill, meaning 'descendant of Dubhghall'. The personal name Dubhghall combines dubh ('dark, black') with gall ('stranger, foreigner'), originally used to distinguish darker-haired Vikings from fair-haired Norse invaders. The surname was anglicized as Doyle, O'Doyle, and other variants. It has been used as a given name in English-speaking countries, especially in Ireland and the United States, since the 19th century.
Where Doyle is most popular
Births per 100,000 boys by state. Press play or drag the slider to watch it move across the decades. The lightest shade means too few recorded births.
Nicknames & variants
Variants: O'Doyle, Doyl
Sibling names for Doyle
Names that share Doyle's style, for a brother or sister.
