Doyle - Irish Surname Origin & Meaning
Irish form: Ó Dubhghaill
Meaning: “dark foreigner” (a Viking)
Traditional stronghold: Wexford, Wicklow
Pronunciation: DOYL; Irish O Dubhghaill: oh DUV-ghil
History of the Doyle name
Doyle comes from Dubhghall, meaning 'dark stranger', a term first applied by the Irish to Viking settlers and later adopted as a personal name among the Gaelic Irish themselves. The main O'Doyle sept established itself in Wexford under the Ui Cheinnsealaigh and remained strongly associated with that county and neighbouring Wicklow and Carlow. Because the underlying term described an ethnic origin rather than a single ancestor, the surname arose independently in more than one place, contributing to its wide spread. Doyle is today one of the most common surnames in Ireland, particularly dense in the south-east.
Variants: Doyl · Dowle · Doile
Famous bearers of the name
- Roddy Doyle - Dublin novelist, author of The Commitments and Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha
- Arthur Conan Doyle - Edinburgh-born writer of Irish descent, creator of Sherlock Holmes
- Jack Doyle - Cork-born boxer and entertainer known as the Gorgeous Gael
Related names from the same part of Ireland: Murphy · Byrne · Kavanagh · Cullen · Roche · Keating · Redmond · Larkin