2000
#80,812
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 218
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.08
Very Rare Last name
Wyle
A variant of the occupational surname Wile, referring to a trapper or hunter.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 212 Americans carry the last name Wyle. That puts it at #103,399 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,616,766 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wyle surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Wyle with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
212
1 in 1,616,766
Census rank
#103,399
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
185
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 185 bearers of the surname Wyle in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 103399th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wyle, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.5%) and Black (5.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wyle
The surname Wyle has its origins in the British Isles, specifically from England, with early instances possibly dating back to the medieval period. The name is thought to be of geographically descriptive origin, possibly derived from the Old English word "wīl," meaning a "trick" or "wile," or perhaps from a place name related to water features such as wells, springs, or pools. There is also a possibility that it is derived from the Old Norse word "vīll," meaning "straying" or "wandering," but this is less certain.
In historical records, variations of the name such as Wyll, Wile, and Wylle can be found, which complicates tracing its exact lineage. The Domesday Book, while not directly listing the surname Wyle, does include places with names like Wylye in Wiltshire, suggesting an association with the landscape and possibly giving root to the surname. Early recorded examples of the surname can be found in legal and property documents dating back to the 13th century.
One of the earliest references to the name appears in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which list a John de Wyly and Robert de Wyle in different counties. The Diocesan Registers of the period also note the name in various spellings, often linked to clergy and minor nobility, indicating the spread and status of the name across England.
In the 14th century, the name Wyle or its variations appear in manorial records. One notable mention is of Thomas Wyle, recorded in 1379 in the Poll Tax records for Yorkshire. Another key figure is Richard Wyle of Norfolk, who appears in the 1524 Subsidy Rolls, indicating that the surname had become established in various parts of England by the early 16th century.
Moving into more modern history, Curt Wyle (1810–1879) was a known British merchant in the early 19th century, whose family genealogy can chart the spread of the Wyle surname during this era. Another noteworthy individual is Henry Wyle (1775-1843), a notable landowner and benefactor in the rural Midlands during the late 18th and early 19th centuries, whose activities were documented in local parish records.
In the 19th century, the surname appears in immigration and census records, reflecting the movements of individuals and families carrying the name. A prominent example is Arthur Wyle (1852-1907), an English expatriate who became a well-known figure in colonial Australia, showing the international spread of the surname through the British diaspora.
Historically, the surname Wyle has been borne by individuals in various fields, including commerce, agriculture, and minor nobility, contributing to its persistence across centuries. The variations in spelling and geographic references help to paint a picture of a name deeply rooted in the landscape and social fabric of medieval and early modern England.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wyle
Among Census respondents with the surname Wyle, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.5%) and Black (5.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Wyle bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Wyle surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.3% · 156
- Hispanic or Latino6.5% · 12
- Black or African American5.9% · 11
- Two or more races2.2% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wyle
Wyle appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#97,671
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 186
-32 bearers (-14.7%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Down 16,859 places
2020
#103,399
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 185
-1 bearers (-0.5%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Down 5,728 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #80,812 | 218 | 0.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #97,671 | 186 | 0.06 | -32 bearers (-14.7%) | Down 16,859 places |
| 2020 | #103,399 | 185 | 0.06 | -1 bearers (-0.5%) | Down 5,728 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Wyle surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #97,671 | #103,399 | -5.9% |
| Count | 186 | 185 | -0.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.06 | 0.06 | 3.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wyle bearers went from 186 to 185 (-0.5% change). The surname moved down 5,728 positions in the national ranking, going from #97,671 to #103,399.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Wyle
FAQ
Wyle surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wyle?
Name Census estimates that about 212 living Americans carry the surname Wyle. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,616,766 residents.
How common is Wyle?
Wyle ranks #103,399 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 185 people with the surname Wyle. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (212), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.06 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Wyle.
Has Wyle become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wyle went from 186 recorded bearers to 185. That is a decrease of 1 (-0.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #97,671 to #103,399.
What does the Census say about the background of Wyle?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wyle, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.5%) and Black (5.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Wyle in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.3% (156 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wyle appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.3%), Hispanic (6.5%), Black (5.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Wyle (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Wyle mean?
A variant of the occupational surname Wile, referring to a trapper or hunter. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Wyle (0.06 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Wyle?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Wyle is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.