UK boy's name
Kile
An Aboriginal Australian name derived from a word meaning "returning boomerang".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2006. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Kile is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Kile popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2006 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3385, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2001, with 7 births.
This profile covers 45 England and Wales registrations across 9 recorded years from 1996 to 2006. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 57% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 45 living people in the UK are called Kile. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2007 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Kile ranked #3385 for boys in England and Wales in 2006, with 4 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2001, when 7 boys were registered as Kile.
- • About 45 living people in the UK are estimated to have Kile as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#3385
2006
Births in 2006
4
Latest year
Peak year
2001
7 births
Estimated living
45
2026
Meaning
What does Kile mean?
The name Kile has its origins in the Germanic languages, tracing back to the Old Norse and Old English words "kil" or "cyl," meaning "trough" or "channel." It was originally a surname that referred to someone who lived near a trough or stream.
In medieval times, the name was often spelled as "Kile" or "Kile" in various regions of Northern Europe. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in Anglo-Saxon chronicles and Norse sagas from the 9th to 11th centuries.
One of the earliest known individuals with the name Kile was a Norwegian Viking named Kile Arneson, who lived in the late 10th century. He was a prominent figure in the Icelandic sagas and is mentioned in the Landnámabók, a medieval Icelandic text that chronicles the settlement of Iceland.
Another notable bearer of the name was Kile Gudmundsson, an Icelandic chieftain and lawspeaker who lived in the 12th century. He played a significant role in the Sturlunga saga, a collection of Icelandic sagas that provide insights into the social and political landscape of medieval Iceland.
In the 14th century, a German philosopher and theologian named Kile von Ockham, also known as William of Ockham, gained recognition for his influential works on logic, philosophy, and theology. He is best known for the philosophical principle known as "Occam's Razor," which states that the simplest explanation is often the most accurate.
During the Renaissance period, an Italian painter named Kile Modigliani (1484-1564) made a name for himself as a skilled portrait artist. He worked in various Italian cities, including Rome and Florence, and his works are still admired for their attention to detail and realistic depictions of the human form.
In more recent times, Kile Welles (1912-1998) was an American actor and director who appeared in numerous films and television shows throughout the 20th century. He is perhaps best known for his roles in classic movies such as "Citizen Kane" and "The Third Man."
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who have borne the name Kile, highlighting its diverse cultural and linguistic origins, as well as its presence across various fields and time periods.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Kile over time
The chart below shows babies named Kile registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2006. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Kile, the clearest high point is 2001. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2006, compared with 7 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Kile by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Kile was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | #2416 | 28 | 5 |
| 1990s | #2351 | 17 | 4 |
Related
Names similar to Kile
- Kieran 30,429
- Kyle 28,463
- Kai 24,432
- Kian 17,666
- Kayden 8,305
- Kevin 7,927
- Kane 7,149
- Kaiden 5,762
- Kieron 4,547
- Kacper 4,366
- Kye 4,012
- Kit 3,529
FAQ
Kile: questions and answers
How popular is the name Kile in the UK right now?
In 2006, Kile was ranked #3385 for boys in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.
When was Kile most popular?
The peak year on record was 2001, with 7 babies registered as Kile in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Kile?
An Aboriginal Australian name derived from a word meaning "returning boomerang".
How many people are called Kile in the UK?
A total of 45 babies have been registered as Kile across the 9 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.