Kyl

♂ Boy

Pronounced KYL /ˈkaɪl/Medium

Meaning: Kyl is a clipped, e-less respelling of Kyle, a Scottish name from the Gaelic caol, meaning a 'narrows,' 'strait' or 'channel,' originally a place and surname. Dropping the final e keeps the same sound while giving the name a terse, modern look.Low

In 30 seconds: Kyl is a clipped respelling of Kyle, from Scottish Gaelic for 'narrows' or 'strait' (said KYL). It stayed very rare in this trimmed form.

💕 Browse more names

Origin LowScottish, American

MeaningKyl is a clipped, e-less respelling of Kyle, a Scottish name from the Gaelic caol, meaning a 'narrows,' 'strait' or 'channel,' originally a place and surname. Dropping the final e keeps the same sound while giving the name a terse, modern look.

U.S. rank (2007)#13537 ↘ Falling

2007 U.S. births5 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)

Peak year1993

Total births (all-time)≈ 81

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Kyl is a stripped-down spelling of Kyle, from the Scottish Gaelic caol, 'narrows' or 'strait,' a landscape word that became a surname and then a given name. The e-less form is a modern respelling and is heard exactly like Kyle, which we note.

It appeared thinly in the United States from the nineteen-eighties into the two-thousands, given to only about fifteen boys a year even at its peak, while standard Kyle was far more common. A Kyl from that time is an adult today.

Did you know? Kyle comes from the Scottish Gaelic caol, a word for a narrow strait, and survives in Scottish place names like the Kyle of Lochalsh; Kyl simply drops the final e.

Overall data confidence 30%

References - Kyl — Kyle clip/respelling; Scottish Gaelic caol 'narrows'; heard as Kyle.

Variations

KyleKileKylerKyele

Nicknames

KyKylo

Famous Bearers

Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Kyl…

Kyle— the standard spelling Kyl clips

Kai— a like short bright pick

Cole— a comparable one-syllable name

Kyler— an extended cousin

Explore names like Kyl

By thememodern rare respelling scottish

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Kyl mean?

It is a clipped respelling of Kyle, from the Scottish Gaelic caol, 'narrows, strait, channel.'

How do you pronounce Kyl?

It is said KYL /ˈkaɪl/ - one syllables, stress on the first.

Is Kyl a boy or girl name?

Kyl is used as a boy's name.

How popular is Kyl?

It was always rare in the United States, given to only about fifteen boys a year even at its peak in the nineteen-nineties.