boy's name
Myles
MYLZ
- Origin Latin
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 1
- Letters 5
- Popularity Top 100 (US)
- Births on record 83,235
the United States
#100
2025 births
Myles is a boy's name and a variant spelling of Miles, whose origin is disputed. It is usually connected to the Latin miles, meaning soldier, though the name reached England as the Norman Milo and the derivation is not settled.
- Myles is a name of Latin origin.
- Peaked in 2024, when 3,578 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 939 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1887.
- 1 syllable, with the stress on syllable 1.
Myles over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 18 |
| 1890s | 52 |
| 1900s | 87 |
| 1910s | 465 |
| 1920s | 772 |
| 1930s | 669 |
| 1940s | 828 |
| 1950s | 1,140 |
| 1960s | 1,017 |
| 1970s | 970 |
| 1980s | 2,527 |
| 1990s | 7,122 |
| 2000s | 11,140 |
| 2010s | 17,933 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 20,097 |
What Myles means
Myles is generally glossed as soldier, from the Latin miles — the word behind military and militia. Competing derivations from Germanic and Slavic roots would give quite different senses, and none has been established.
Where Myles comes from
Myles is a spelling variant of Miles, which arrived in England with the Normans as Milo. The obvious candidate root is the Latin miles, a foot soldier, but the sound change from Milo is not cleanly explained by it, and alternative derivations point to a Germanic root or to the Slavic mil, meaning gracious. The Y spelling has a particular association with Ireland, where Myles served as an anglicization of the Irish Maolmhuire, an unrelated name meaning devotee of Mary — so an Irish Myles and an English Miles may not share an origin at all despite sharing a sound.
Myles in use
An Irish Myles may descend from Maolmhuire, an entirely different name, rather than from the Norman Milo.
How popular is Myles?
In 2025, Myles was given to 3,529 babies in the United States, ranking #100 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
Where Myles is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Myles
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Myles also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Myles over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Myles in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Myles
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Myles — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Myles
What does the name Myles mean?
Myles is usually glossed as "soldier," from the Latin miles, though its origin is disputed.
What is the difference between Myles and Miles?
Mostly spelling, but Myles is particularly associated with Ireland, where it also anglicized the unrelated Maolmhuire.
Is Myles an Irish name?
The spelling has strong Irish associations, though the name itself came to Britain with the Normans.
How popular is the name Myles?
In 2025, Myles was given to 3,529 babies in the United States, ranking #100 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
Is Myles a girl's or a boy's name?
Myles is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Myles?
Myles has 1 syllable.
When was Myles most popular?
Myles peaked in 2024, when 3,578 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
Is Myles a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Myles currently ranks #35 in the United States. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.