Total births
59,190
Boys' name · since 1880
Lyle
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 59,190 babies named Lyle, peaking in 1922. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #1020
- among boys today
- 59,190
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 93%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Lyle is the #1020 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 59,190 recorded since 1880.
Lyle has 59,190 recorded births among boys since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #1020 as of the latest data, more common than 93% of boys, busiest in the 1920s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #1020 among boys today
- 59,190 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 93% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Lyle is currently the #1020 boys' name in America, more common than 93% of boys - 59,190 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #1020
- among boys today
- 59,190
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 93%
- more common than other boys
Lyle vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#1020
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 93% of names given to boys today.
1920s
Peak decade
17% of everyone ever named Lyle was born in this single decade.
1922
Single peak year
1,055 babies were named Lyle in 1922 - its busiest year on record.
How Lyle compares
59,190 Top 3% higher than 97% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Lyle's all-time total is 161x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Lyle | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 59,190 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 1,055 | 23 | 22,252 |
Lyle's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Lyle splits its recorded history at 1953: 37% of all births land in the more recent half, 63% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1881 (6 births) -- compare that against the 1922 peak of 1,055 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Lyle at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1922
Current rank
#1,020
Active since
1880
Lyle popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1922)
- 1,055
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Lyle popularity over time - girls
1,013 total births recorded since 1888 (Lyle as girls' name)
Lyle by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Lyle's strongest decade.
10,163 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 17% of all-time use.
Lyle births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 126
1880s
126 births
- 1890s 371
1890s
371 births
- 1900s 674
1900s
674 births
- 1910s
1910s
5,657 births
- 1920s
1920s
10,163 births
- 1930s
1930s
9,058 births
- 1940s
1940s
8,618 births
- 1950s
1950s
8,304 births
- 1960s
1960s
5,259 births
- 1970s 2,959
1970s
2,959 births
- 1980s 2,536
1980s
2,536 births
- 1990s 1,506
1990s
1,506 births
- 2000s 942
2000s
942 births
- 2010s 1,762
2010s
1,762 births
- 2020s 1,255
2020s
1,255 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 10,163 births (17% of all-time use).
How Lyle compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Lyle's total volume
Lyle vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Lyle by state
Where Lyle concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Michigan | | 4,364 | 7.4% |
| #2 | Minnesota | | 4,339 | 7.3% |
| #3 | Iowa | | 4,192 | 7.1% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 4,101 | 6.9% |
| #5 | Wisconsin | | 3,691 | 6.2% |
| #6 | California | | 3,101 | 5.2% |
| #7 | New York | | 2,565 | 4.3% |
| #8 | Nebraska | | 2,507 | 4.2% |
Michigan share of Lyle's total US births 7.4%
Even split
4,364 of 59,190 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 49 reporting states.
Lyle appears in 49 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Lyle? ▼
Lyle has been given to 59,190 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #1020 as of the latest data. 1,055 babies were born in 1922, its single highest year.
When was Lyle most popular? ▼
Lyle was most popular in the 1920s decade with 10,163 total births. The single peak year was 1922.
Where is Lyle most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Lyle are Michigan (4,364 births), Minnesota (4,339 births), Iowa (4,192 births).
How long has the name Lyle been used? ▼
Records for Lyle go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Lyle? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Lyles, Lyla. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Lyle's data
- Lyle's decade-level peak was the 1920s (10,163 total births); usage has since declined to 1,255 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Michigan records the most Lyles (4,364 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Michigan names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Lyle
Nearby Names Like Lyle
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Lyle
Compare Lyle side by side: Lyle vs Lyles Lyle vs Lyla
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Lyle
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Lyle: #1020 Boys' Name - 59,190 Births, Peak 1922." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/lyle. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Lyle draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.