NameCensus.

UK surname

Coyle

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Giolla Comhghaill," meaning "descendant of the servant of St. Comgall."

In the 1881 census there were 2,040 people recorded with the Coyle surname, ranking it #2,156 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 7,025, ranked #954, up from #2,156 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Edinburgh and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Toryglen and Oatlands, Castlemilk and Greenock East.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Coyle is 7,132 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 244.4%.

1881 census count

2,040

Ranked #2,156

Modern count

7,025

2016, ranked #954

Peak year

2010

7,132 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Coyle had 2,040 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,156 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 7,025 in 2016, ranked #954.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,929 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Coyle surname distribution map

The map shows where the Coyle surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Coyle surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Coyle over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 920 #2,998
1861 historical 1,209 #2,347
1881 historical 2,040 #2,156
1891 historical 2,275 #2,052
1901 historical 2,929 #1,910
1911 historical 1,502 #3,211
1997 modern 6,393 #1,023
1998 modern 6,599 #1,033
1999 modern 6,707 #1,020
2000 modern 6,631 #1,029
2001 modern 6,470 #1,030
2002 modern 6,629 #1,025
2003 modern 6,593 #1,003
2004 modern 6,614 #1,003
2005 modern 6,554 #1,003
2006 modern 6,585 #998
2007 modern 6,692 #988
2008 modern 6,805 #973
2009 modern 7,011 #967
2010 modern 7,132 #972
2011 modern 6,957 #981
2012 modern 6,886 #967
2013 modern 7,005 #969
2014 modern 7,096 #963
2015 modern 7,038 #957
2016 modern 7,025 #954

Geography

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Where Coyles are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Edinburgh, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry, Manchester and Greenock. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Toryglen and Oatlands, Castlemilk, Greenock East, Port Glasgow Mid, East and Central and Laurieston and Tradeston. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Edinburgh Edinburgh
3 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Greenock Renfrew

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Toryglen and Oatlands Glasgow City
2 Castlemilk Glasgow City
3 Greenock East Inverclyde
4 Port Glasgow Mid, East and Central Inverclyde
5 Laurieston and Tradeston Glasgow City

Forenames

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First names often paired with Coyle

These lists show first names that appear often with the Coyle surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Coyle

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Coyle, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Coyle surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Coyle household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Coyle is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Coyle is most concentrated in decile 2 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Coyle falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Coyle is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

This describes the area pattern most associated with Coyle, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Coyle

The surname Coyle originated in Ireland and is derived from the Gaelic word "O'Comhdhail," meaning "descendant of the host or the hospitable one." Its origins can be traced back to the 11th or 12th century.

The name was predominantly found in County Donegal, where it was first recorded in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history written in the early 17th century. In this text, the name appears as "O'Comhdhail" and is associated with the Cenel Conaill dynasty that ruled parts of northwestern Ireland.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is Domhnall O'Comhdhail, a notable figure from County Donegal who lived in the late 12th century. He was a member of the ruling O'Donnell family and served as a chieftain and military commander.

Over time, the name evolved through various spellings such as O'Cowley, O'Coyle, and eventually Coyle. This evolution can be attributed to the anglicization of Irish names during the English conquest of Ireland.

Notable individuals with the surname Coyle include:

1. Joseph Coyle (1855-1923), an Irish-American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives for Pennsylvania. 2. Sir Nigel Coyle (1871-1957), a British naval officer and recipient of the Victoria Cross for his actions during World War I. 3. Kathleen Coyle (1906-1997), an Irish author and playwright known for her works on Irish cultural heritage and folklore. 4. Daniel Coyle (1936-2016), an American novelist and screenwriter best known for his detective fiction and crime novels. 5. Kevin Coyle (born 1954), an Irish former professional football player and manager who played for clubs like Burnley and Middlesbrough.

The surname Coyle has also been associated with several place names, such as Coyle's Muir in Scotland and Coyle's Hill in Newfoundland, Canada, further highlighting its historical significance and geographical spread.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Coyle families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Coyle surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lancashire leads with 465 Coyles recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.98x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 465 1.98x
Lanarkshire 368 5.73x
Yorkshire 142 0.72x
Renfrewshire 138 8.97x
Durham 131 2.22x
Middlesex 115 0.58x
Dunbartonshire 98 18.38x
Midlothian 96 3.61x
Angus 93 5.06x
Northumberland 57 1.93x
Stirlingshire 40 5.47x
Kent 29 0.43x
Cheshire 28 0.64x
Hampshire 24 0.59x
Somerset 24 0.75x
Kirkcudbrightshire 20 6.96x
Surrey 15 0.16x
Cumberland 14 0.82x
West Lothian 14 4.69x
Devon 12 0.29x
Essex 12 0.31x
Fife 11 0.94x
Gloucestershire 11 0.28x
Ayrshire 9 0.61x
Dumfriesshire 9 2.05x
Leicestershire 6 0.27x
Perthshire 6 0.67x
Wigtownshire 6 2.28x
Worcestershire 6 0.23x
Staffordshire 5 0.07x
Nottinghamshire 4 0.15x
Royal Navy 4 1.69x
Warwickshire 4 0.08x
Cornwall 3 0.13x
Aberdeenshire 2 0.11x
Argyllshire 2 0.36x
Norfolk 2 0.07x
Berwickshire 1 0.42x
Buteshire 1 0.83x
Denbighshire 1 0.13x
Derbyshire 1 0.03x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.16x
Selkirkshire 1 0.56x
Suffolk 1 0.04x
Wiltshire 1 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barony in Lanarkshire leads with 91 Coyles recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.60x.

Place Total Index
Barony 91 5.60x
Glasgow 89 7.81x
Liverpool 84 5.87x
Govan 75 4.73x
Dundee 64 9.33x
Wigan 48 14.59x
Maryhill 41 32.64x
Old Kilpatrick 39 61.89x
Port Glasgow 39 52.46x
Manchester 37 3.49x
Liff Benvie 28 10.03x
Abbey 27 11.51x
Chorlton On Medlock 27 7.22x
Bonhill 26 30.38x
Kilsyth 25 53.58x
Leeds 21 1.89x
St Pancras London 21 1.31x
Middlesbrough 20 7.81x
Benfieldside 19 48.94x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 19 1.78x
Holbeck 19 14.59x
Old Monkland 19 7.46x
West Greenock 19 6.88x
Conside Knitsley 17 37.04x
Elswick 17 7.22x
Mile End Old Town London 17 4.03x
Beswick 15 24.91x
Bootle Cum Linacre 15 8.02x
Cardross 15 23.43x
Neilston 15 19.43x
Cambuslang 14 21.64x
Girthon 14 144.93x
Sheffield 14 2.24x
Toxteth Park 14 1.76x
Kirkdale 13 3.28x
Middle Greenock 13 30.98x
North Leith 13 10.57x
Salford 13 1.88x
Birkenhead 12 3.44x
Blackburn 12 1.92x
Bothwell 12 6.90x
Pendleton In Salford 12 4.28x
Tanfield 12 17.10x
Walcot 12 7.05x
Bradford 11 2.31x
Edinburgh Canongate 11 16.26x
Great Bolton 11 3.53x
Hunslet 11 3.59x
Rainhill 11 72.94x
West Derby 11 1.60x
Barking 10 8.73x
Barton Upon Irwell 10 5.64x
Bathgate 10 15.42x
Bishop Auckland 10 12.63x
East Greenock 10 6.89x
Edinburgh Buccleuch 10 15.90x
Edinburgh St Johns 10 59.59x
Hamilton 10 5.59x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 10 3.91x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 10 5.67x
St George Bloomsbury 10 8.78x
Clifton 9 4.57x
Murton 9 297.03x
Preston 9 1.43x
Whiston 9 48.99x
Aldershot 8 5.87x
Cumbernauld 8 27.38x
Gorton 8 3.61x
Greenwich 8 2.53x
Houghton Le Spring 8 19.60x
Islington London 8 0.42x
Renfrew 8 15.75x
Sunderland 8 7.67x
Taunton St James 8 17.17x
Westhoughton 8 12.73x
Woolwich 8 3.20x
Crosscanonby 7 12.39x
Dewsbury 7 3.47x
Newton In Makerfield 7 9.71x
Pemberton 7 7.46x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Coyle surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 98
Catherine 37
Elizabeth 34
Sarah 34
Margaret 27
Ann 25
Ellen 25
Jane 20
Alice 17
Bridget 14
Annie 11
Eliza 10
Rose 10
Emma 9
Kate 7
Louisa 7
Martha 7
Agnes 6
Emily 6
Maria 6
Ada 5
Caroline 5
Hannah 5
Anne 4
Charlotte 4
Florence 4
Frances 4
Harriet 4
Julia 4
Edith 3
Elizth. 3
Esther 3
Isabella 3
Susannah 3
Amelia 2
Amy 2
Cate 2
Cathrine 2
Fanny 2
Lilly 2
Lydia 2
Margt. 2
Selina 2
Susan 2
Bridgit 1
Delia 1
Dorothy 1
E. 1
Ebth. 1
Eleanor 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Coyle surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
James 92
John 89
Thomas 43
William 39
Patrick 29
Michael 26
Peter 23
Edward 15
Joseph 15
Henry 13
Charles 11
Bernard 10
George 10
Francis 8
Richard 7
Alfred 6
Arthur 6
Frank 6
Hugh 6
Robert 5
Owen 4
Philip 4
Terence 4
Andrew 3
Daniel 3
Frederick 3
Neil 3
Nicholas 3
Thos. 3
Wm. 3
Alexander 2
Anthony 2
Aurther 2
Barnad 2
Barnard 2
Charlie 2
Dan 2
Denis 2
Dennis 2
Fred 2
Jas. 2
Martin 2
Matthew 2
Michel 2
Phillip 2
Stephen 2
Edgar 1
Ernest 1
F. 1
Frances 1

FAQ

Coyle surname: questions and answers

How common was the Coyle surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,040 people were recorded with the Coyle surname. That placed it at #2,156 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Coyle surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 7,025 in 2016. That gives Coyle a modern rank of #954.

What does the Coyle surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Giolla Comhghaill," meaning "descendant of the servant of St. Comgall."

What does the Coyle map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Coyle bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.