Explore the Family Name Doyle

The meaning of Doyle

Irish: shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Dubhghaill ‘descendant of Dubhghall’, a personal name composed of the elements dubh ‘black’ + gall ‘stranger’. This was used as a byname for Scandinavians, in particular to distinguish the darker-haired Danes from fair-haired Norwegians. Compare McDougall, McDowell. Some characteristic forenames: Irish Brendan, Sean, Kieran, Seamus, Aileen, Dermot, Liam, Niall, Brennan, Brigid, Conal, Conan, Donal.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Doyle in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Doyle has seen a slight change between 2000 and 2010. Although the count of individuals with the Doyle surname increased by 1.28%, from 73,518 to 74,458, its rank fell from 391 to 441, representing a 12.79% decrease. Additionally, the proportion per 100k people dropped by 7.38%, from 27.25 to 25.24.

20002010Change
Rank#391#441-12.79%
Count73,51874,4581.28%
Proportion per 100k27.2525.24-7.38%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Doyle

The ethnic identity of individuals bearing the Doyle surname also saw shifts between 2000 and 2010 as per the Decennial U.S. Census data. The most significant increase was observed within the Hispanic ethnicity, which rose by 49.38%, followed by the Asian/Pacific Islander ethnicity, escalating by 43.48%. People identifying as two or more races also increased by 28.24%. Meanwhile, the white population represented the majority, despite a 1.79% decrease, making up 89.12% of the total in 2010. The black population witnessed a slight rise of 5.40%, while the American Indian and Alaskan Native populations decreased by 7.55%.

20002010Change
White90.74%89.12%-1.79%
Black5.37%5.66%5.4%
Hispanic1.6%2.39%49.38%
Two or More Races1.31%1.68%28.24%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.46%0.66%43.48%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.53%0.49%-7.55%

Doyle ancestry composition

23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Doyle is British & Irish, which comprises 59.3% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (17.0%) and Eastern European (5.4%). Additional ancestries include Italian, Scandinavian, Spanish & Portuguese, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Indigenous American.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
British & Irish59.3%
French & German17.0%
Eastern European5.4%
Other18.3%
Doyle

Possible origins of the surname Doyle

Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.

Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Doyle have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Merseyside, United Kingdom86.20%
Greater London, United Kingdom86.20%
Glasgow City, United Kingdom86.00%
Greater Manchester, United Kingdom85.90%
West Midlands, United Kingdom85.70%

What Doyle haplogroups can tell you

Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.

The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Doyle is R-Z255, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-Z255 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-L21 and R-CTS241, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Foley, Byrne, Redmond, Murphy, Geary, Kavanagh, Mcghee, Quigley, Buckley, Myrick.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Doyle surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.

doylePaternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343

Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette

Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.

Maternal Haplo Image

What do people with the surname Doyle have in common?

Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.

Preferences

Doyle

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Doyle" Surname 43.8%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Doyle

Misophonia

When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.

"Doyle" Surname 24.9%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Doyle

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Doyle" Surname 21.6%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Doyle

Migraine

A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

"Doyle" Surname 17.2%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Doyle?

The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.

Disease variant frequency by ancestry

Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Doyle are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition

Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Y402H variant

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of irreversible vision loss among older adults. The disease results in damage to the central part of the retina (the macula), impairing vision needed for reading, driving, or even recognizing faces. The 23andMe Health + Ancestry DNA test includes the two most common variants associated with an increased risk of developing the condition: the Y402H variant in the CFH gene and the A69S variant in the ARMS2 gene. Learn more about Age-Related Macular Degeneration

British & Irish 62.1%

23andMe Users 57.2%