The first name Carlyle
A boy’s name.
2 syllables Male Also a surname
Meaning and origin
A unisex given name transferred from the surname.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
Carlyle last appeared in the official list in 2010, given to 3 boys. It peaked in 2007, with 3 births (#4,333).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Carlyle with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Carlyle at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 20 boys born in the United States were named Carlyle, the 4,888th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1918, when 115 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Famous people named Carlyle
7 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Carlyle BlackwellAmerican silent film actor, director, and producer (1884-1955)
- Carlyle Smith BealsCanadian astronomer (1899-1979)
- Carlyle TapsellField hockey player (1909–1975)
- Carlyle A. LuerAmerican botanist (1922–2019)
- Robert ByrdAmerican politician (1917–2010)
- Paul InceEnglish association football player and manager, born 1967
- David RocastleEnglish association football player (1967–2001)
Questions
- How popular is the name Carlyle?
- In 2010, 3 boys born in England and Wales were named Carlyle, ranking 4,678th. Its peak was 2007, with 3 births.
- Is Carlyle a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 95% of the 4,071 US babies named Carlyle since 1880 were boys.
- When was Carlyle most popular?
- 1918 in the United States, when 115 babies were named Carlyle, its highest rank at 564th.
- Is Carlyle also a surname?
- Yes. Carlyle is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.