ChatGPT
Claude
Gemini
Perplexity
The short answer
Kyle is a masculine name used in English. Behind the Name describes it this way: "From a Scottish surname that was derived from various place names, themselves from Gaelic caol meaning ‘narrows, channel, strait’. As a given name it was rare in the first half of the 20th century." It ranked #509 for boys in the United States in 2025.
Meaning and etymology
According to Behind the Name, from a Scottish surname that was derived from various place names, themselves from Gaelic caol meaning ‘narrows, channel, strait’. As a given name it was rare in the first half of the 20th century. The entry lists its usage as English.
Editorial confidence: established
Popularity
Kyle ranked #509 for boys in the United States in 2025. The figure comes from the Social Security Administration's national file for that year.
| Region | Year | Rank | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 2025 | #509 | ssa-2025 |
If you like this name
Names that Behind the Name files under the same origin (English) and that sit near Kyle in the 2025 American rankings.
Similar by origin
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Kyle mean?
Kyle means "narrows, channel, strait", according to Behind the Name.
Is Kyle a popular name?
Kyle ranked #509 for boys in the United States in 2025. (Social Security Administration data).
Is Kyle a boy's or a girl's name?
In the 2025 SSA data Kyle appears in the boys' list; Behind the Name labels it masculine.
Sources
- Behind the Name: Meaning, origin and history of the name Kyle — supports meaning, usage, pronunciation, variants.
- U.S. Social Security Administration: Popular Baby Names — national data, year of birth 2025 — supports popularity.
