How popular is the baby name Kyle in the United States right now? How popular was it historically? Use the popularity graph and data table below to find out! Plus, see all the blog posts that mention the name Kyle.
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In 1978, after a short absence, the baby name Kylenere-emerged impressively in the U.S. baby name data. The very next year, it reached peak usage:
1981: 64 baby girls named Kylene
1980: 149 baby girls named Kylene [rank: 990th]
1979: 205 baby girls named Kylene [rank: 779th]
1978: 88 baby girls named Kylene
1977: unlisted
1976: 6 baby girls named Kylene
The spelling Kyleen — plus a number of similar names, such as Kylie, Kylee, Kiley, Kyley, and Kyleigh — also saw higher usage during the late 1970s.
What was drawing attention to Kylene (and like-sounding names) around that time?
My guess is Kylene Barker, the beauty queen from Virginia who was crowned Miss America 1979 (“wearing fashions she made herself”) in September of 1978.
During the talent portion of the competition, she performed an “acrobatic dance” routine in a purple leotard. One of the tunes she danced/tumbled to was the theme song from the movie Rocky.
Kylene was born Danice Kylene Barker in 1955 in the mountain town of Galax to parents Dolores and Kyle Barker. No doubt her middle name was based on her father’s first name.
Olivia Emma Charlotte Amelia Sophia Isabella Ava Mia Evelyn Luna Harper Camila Sofia Scarlett Elizabeth Eleanor Emily Chloe Mila Violet Penelope Gianna Aria Abigail Ella Avery Hazel Nora Layla Lily Aurora Nova Ellie Madison Grace Isla Willow Zoe Riley Stella Eliana Ivy Victoria Emilia Zoey Naomi Hannah Lucy Elena Lillian Maya Leah Paisley Addison Natalie Valentina Everly Delilah Leilani Madelyn Kinsley Ruby Sophie Alice Genesis Claire Audrey Sadie Aaliyah Josephine Autumn Brooklyn Quinn Kennedy Cora Savannah Caroline Athena Natalia Hailey Aubrey Emery Anna Iris Bella Eloise Skylar Jade Gabriella Ariana Maria Adeline Lydia Sarah Nevaeh Serenity Liliana Ayla Everleigh Raelynn Allison Madeline Vivian Maeve Lyla Samantha Rylee Eva Melody Clara Hadley Julia Piper Juniper Parker Brielle Eden Remi Josie Rose Arya Eliza Charlie Peyton Daisy Lucia Millie Margaret Freya Melanie Elliana Adalynn Alina Emersyn Sienna Mary Isabelle Alaia Esther Sloane Mackenzie Amara Ximena Sage Cecilia Valeria Reagan Valerie Catalina River Magnolia Kehlani Summer Ashley Andrea Isabel Oakley Olive Oaklynn Ember Kaylee Georgia Juliette Anastasia Genevieve Katherine Blakely Reese Amaya Emerson Brianna June Alani Lainey Arianna Rosalie Sara Jasmine Ruth Adalyn Ada Bailey Ariella Wren Myla Khloe Callie Elsie Alexandra Ryleigh Faith Norah Margot Zuri Journee Aspen Gemma Kylie Molly Blake Zara Alaina Alana Brynlee Amy Annie Saylor Ana Amira Kimberly Noelle Kamila Morgan Phoebe Harmony Sutton Taylor Finley Lilah Juliana Lila Londyn Kailani Vera Kaia Angela Hallie Diana Lennon Presley Arabella Aliyah Lilly Milani Jordyn Camille Ariel Aubree Selena Sawyer Nyla Delaney Mariana Rachel Adaline Leila Collins Lia Octavia Kali Lena Kiara Kaylani Elaina Daniela Leia Gracie Dakota Elise Hope Harlow Lola Stevie Malia Miriam Alora Gia Evangeline Brooke Lilith Sydney Ophelia Alayna Tatum Evie Rowan Marley Daphne Kayla Dahlia Lucille Blair Adelaide Wrenley Haven Teagan Adelyn Alyssa Payton Jane Mckenna Celeste Juliet Palmer Maggie Rebecca London Noa Samara Thea Kendall Mya Talia Winter Angelina Vivienne Esme Laila Nina Trinity Vanessa Mabel Camilla Jocelyn Journey Paige Phoenix Amina Alivia Amari Joanna Nicole Annabelle Raegan Aitana Julianna Lauren Catherine Adriana Madilyn Harley Tessa Evelynn Elianna Rory Dream Nayeli Poppy Gabriela Jayla Cataleya Celine Hayden Shiloh Mariah Charlee Maisie Regina Adelynn Briella Giselle Fatima Danna Alessia Mckenzie Wynter Fiona Brooklynn Gracelynn Luciana Alexis Everlee Laura Selah Reign Alayah Rosemary Lilliana Ariyah Heidi Esmeralda Logan Amora Kalani Leighton Cali Melissa Aniyah Izabella Michelle Raelyn Alessandra Viviana Madeleine Arielle Serena Francesca Brynn Gwendolyn Kira Destiny Elle Makayla Alaya Malani Willa Saige Makenna Remington Demi Adelina Raya Astrid Azalea Veronica Meadow Anaya Elisa Raven Alexandria Hattie Alicia Sabrina Gracelyn Matilda Skye Annalise Frances Miracle Maia Helen Lana Daleyza Rosie Charli Bianca Royalty Sarai Amiyah Nylah Aylin Maryam Scarlet Antonella Sylvia Sylvie Nadia Ari Lexi Mylah Julieta Lorelei Avianna Armani Camryn Emely Rylie Colette Daniella Liana Brinley Kate Salem Marlee Alison Carmen Felicity Fernanda Holly Ariah Aisha Kora Amanda Ailani Elaine Emory Joy Oaklee Lyric Madelynn Haisley Allie Helena Danielle Katalina Carolina Zariah Navy Cassidy Lorelai Stephanie Alma Mira Legacy Jolene Anya Dorothy Paris Yaretzi Aurelia Maddison Renata Jimena Xiomara Itzel Heaven Lyra Estella Gabrielle Maren
Liam Noah Oliver James Elijah William Henry Lucas Benjamin Theodore Mateo Levi Sebastian Daniel Jack Michael Alexander Owen Asher Samuel Ethan Leo Jackson Mason Ezra John Hudson Luca Aiden Joseph David Jacob Logan Luke Julian Gabriel Grayson Wyatt Matthew Maverick Dylan Isaac Elias Anthony Thomas Jayden Carter Santiago Ezekiel Charles Josiah Caleb Cooper Lincoln Miles Christopher Nathan Isaiah Kai Joshua Andrew Angel Adrian Cameron Nolan Waylon Jaxon Roman Eli Wesley Aaron Ian Christian Ryan Leonardo Brooks Axel Walker Jonathan Easton Everett Weston Bennett Robert Jameson Landon Silas Jose Beau Micah Colton Jordan Jeremiah Parker Greyson Rowan Adam Nicholas Theo Xavier Hunter Dominic Jace Gael River Thiago Kayden Damian August Carson Austin Myles Amir Declan Emmett Ryder Luka Connor Jaxson Milo Enzo Giovanni Vincent Diego Luis Archer Harrison Kingston Atlas Jasper Sawyer Legend Lorenzo Evan Jonah Chase Bryson Adriel Nathaniel Arthur Juan George Cole Zion Jason Ashton Carlos Calvin Brayden Elliot Rhett Emiliano Ace Jayce Graham Max Braxton Leon Ivan Hayden Jude Malachi Dean Tyler Jesus Zachary Kaiden Elliott Arlo Emmanuel Ayden Bentley Maxwell Amari Ryker Finn Antonio Charlie Maddox Justin Judah Kevin Dawson Matteo Miguel Zayden Camden Messiah Alan Alex Nicolas Felix Alejandro Jesse Beckett Matias Tucker Emilio Xander Knox Oscar Beckham Timothy Abraham Andres Gavin Brody Barrett Hayes Jett Brandon Joel Victor Peter Abel Edward Karter Patrick Richard Grant Avery King Caden Adonis Riley Tristan Kyrie Blake Eric Griffin Malakai Rafael Israel Tate Lukas Nico Marcus Stetson Javier Colt Omar Simon Kash Remington Jeremy Louis Mark Lennox Callum Kairo Nash Kyler Dallas Crew Preston Paxton Steven Zane Kaleb Lane Phoenix Paul Cash Kenneth Bryce Ronan Kaden Maximiliano Walter Maximus Emerson Hendrix Jax Atticus Zayn Tobias Cohen Aziel Kayson Rory Brady Finley Holden Jorge Malcolm Clayton Niko Francisco Josue Brian Bryan Cade Colin Andre Cayden Aidan Muhammad Derek Ali Elian Bodhi Cody Jensen Damien Martin Cairo Ellis Khalil Otto Zander Dante Ismael Angelo Brantley Manuel Colson Cruz Tatum Jaylen Jaden Erick Cristian Romeo Milan Reid Cyrus Leonel Joaquin Ari Odin Orion Ezequiel Gideon Daxton Warren Casey Anderson Spencer Karson Eduardo Chance Fernando Raymond Bradley Cesar Wade Prince Julius Dakota Kade Koa Raiden Callan Hector Onyx Remy Ricardo Edwin Stephen Kane Saint Titus Desmond Killian Sullivan Mario Jay Kamari Luciano Royal Zyaire Marco Wilder Russell Nasir Rylan Archie Jared Gianni Kashton Kobe Sergio Travis Marshall Iker Briggs Gunner Apollo Bowen Baylor Sage Tyson Kyle Oakley Malik Mathias Sean Armani Hugo Johnny Sterling Forrest Harvey Banks Grady Kameron Jake Franklin Lawson Tanner Eden Jaziel Pablo Reed Pedro Zayne Royce Edgar Ibrahim Winston Ronin Leonidas Devin Damon Noel Rhys Clark Corbin Sonny Colter Esteban Erik Baker Adan Dariel Kylo Tripp Caiden Frank Solomon Major Memphis Quinn Dax Hank Donovan Finnegan Nehemiah Andy Camilo Asa Jeffrey Santino Isaias Jaiden Kian Fabian Callen Ruben Alexis Emanuel Francis Garrett Kendrick Matthias Wells Augustus Jasiah Alijah Alonzo Koda Collin Ford Frederick Jaxton Kohen Troy Kason Seth Denver Kyson Ares Raphael Bodie Sylas Uriel Zaiden Shiloh Lewis Kieran Marcos Bo Shepherd Philip Zaire Gregory Princeton Roberto Leland Eithan
In the U.S., the name Kyle has always been used more often for boys than for girls.
If you look closely at the data from the early 1950s, though, you’ll notice a sudden increase in the usage of Kyle as a girl name. And, interestingly, most of that usage occurred in the north-eastern quadrant of the country — particularly in New York.
Girls named Kyle
Boys named Kyle
1954
158 [rank: 736th]
402 [rank: 362nd]
1953
153 [rank: 737th]
360 [rank: 358th]
1952
156 [rank: 713th]
381 [rank: 352nd]
1951
211 [rank: 594th]
343 [rank: 369th]
1950
102 [rank: 879th]
240 [rank: 431st]
1949
37
144 [rank: 564th]
1948
16
130 [rank: 586th]
1947
11
151 [rank: 549th]
1946
10
107 [rank: 622nd]
1945
5
81 [rank: 670th]
Here’s a visual of the national usage (for girls only):
So what’s behind the rise?
Singer and actress Kyle MacDonnell, who was one of the first stars of television!
She was born Ruth Kyle MacDonnell in 1922, and spent most of her childhood in Kansas. Her middle name, Kyle, was a family name on her father’s side.
By the mid-1940s, she was doing modeling work in New York City. A talented singer, MacDonnell also found her way onto Broadway, performing in the musical Park Avenue (1946-1947) and the musical revue Make Mine Manhattan (1948-1949).
While appearing in the latter production, she was offered her own TV series, For Your Pleasure, which featured music and dancing.
The weekly, 15-minute variety show began airing live from NBC’s New York City station, WNBT, on April 15, 1948. It was also broadcast across NBC’s Eastern network, which included nearby cities like Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Schenectady. (NBC affiliate stations in other parts of the country may have screened episodes as well, on later dates, thanks to kinescope recordings sent through the mail.)
One reviewer, after watching only the first episode of For Your Pleasure, said Kyle MacDonnell “showed an extremely photogenic personality with grace and naturalness.”
Her singing of How High the Moon and I Wish I Didn’t Love You So were satisfying, and she may well prove an important video find.
Three episodes in, New York Times television critic Jack Gould described Kyle MacDonnell as “television’s first truly new and bright star…the most videogenic young lady yet seen before the cathode cameras.”
A month and a half after the show began, Kyle MacDonnell was on the cover of Life magazine. Life noted that Kyle’s “catch-all appeal nets strangely assorted fan mail from grandmothers, grammar-school kids and ardent bachelors.”
In September, after NBC was able to secure a sponsor for Kyle MacDonnell’s show, For Your Pleasure ended and its re-branded successor Girl About Town (sponsored by Bates Fabrics, Inc.) promptly began.
Girl About Town was also a weekly variety show that aired live from the studio, but episodes were slightly longer (20 minutes) and included prerecorded film footage of Kyle at various landmarks around New York City. The footage was meant to suggest to viewers that Kyle was performing from these locations.
In December, Jack Gould declared in his annual “Honor Roll” that the top male and female TV personalities of 1948 were Milton Berle (host of Texaco Star Theater) and Kyle MacDonnell.
In early 1949, NBC interlinked its 7-city Eastern network to its 9-city Midwest network (which included Chicago, Cleveland, and Buffalo), more than doubling the number of cities in which Girl About Town and other NBC series could be seen live.
Not only was Kyle MacDonnell’s show available in more homes, but her face and name began popping up in advertisements in magazines like Collier’s, The Saturday Evening Post, Vogue, Mademoiselle, Harper’s Bazaar, and Life. Most of the ads were for either Bates-brand fabrics or her own Bates-sponsored television show. The rest were for RCA Victor television sets.
In June of 1949, Girl About Town was canceled. NBC restarted For Your Pleasure in July, but it only lasted until September.
So Kyle MacDonnell returned to Broadway, performing in the musical revue Touch and Go (1949-1950). But she could still be spotted on television, making several guest appearances on the variety show Cavalcade of Stars (DuMont) and several more on the game show Celebrity Time (CBS/ABC).
In late September, 1950, she began hosting a weekly half-hour variety show called Hold that Camera (DuMont). Soon after that, in early October, she became a regular panelist on “Celebrity Time.”
The first show lasted until early December, and her stint on the second show lasted through the end of December — meaning that, for over two months toward the end of 1950, Kyle MacDonnell could be seen on television for two half-hours per week: Fridays from 8:30 to 9 p.m., and Sundays from 10 to 10:30 p.m.
This double-dose of Kyle, combined with a rapidly growing TV audience — the percentage of U.S. homes with a television set had risen from about 2% in 1949 to about 9% in 1950 — is likely what boosted the name Kyle into the girls’ top 1,000 in 1950.
She made a few more guest appearances in early 1951, then took several months off to give birth in June to her first and only child, a son named MacDonnell. (His father was Kyle’s third husband, Richard Gordon, a New York City television producer.)
After that, however, Kyle MacDonnell wasn’t able to find much work in television. Instead, she focused on other things: singing in nightclubs, touring with musical theater productions, and hosting her own radio program in NYC.
She attempted to make a comeback in 1959, singing on Tonight Starring Jack Paar in March, then The Ed Sullivan Show in May. These TV performances would have reached many more viewers than any of her earlier TV performances, as both shows were broadcast nationally, and more than 85% of U.S. homes had a television set by that time. Though they didn’t revive her TV career, they may account for her name seeing a boost in usage in 1959.
Not long after that, Kyle MacDonnell married her fourth (and final) husband, William Vernon, the president of Santa Fe National Bank. She spent the rest of her days in New Mexico, passing away in 2004.
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