Kyles

This interesting surname of Scottish and Northern Irish origin derives from a regional name from the district of Kyle in the former county of Ayshire in South West Scotland. This is so called from the name of the British Chieftains who ruled it in the 5th Century, the Coel Hen. It is also a locational name from any of the numerous Scottish places that are so called, from the Gaelic "caol" meaning "strait" or "narrows". The surname dates back to the early 15th Century, (see below). Further recordings include Thomas, son of Andrew Kyle, who was christened on June 3rd 1635, at St. Margaret, Westminster. Amongst the sample recordings in Ayrshire is the christening of Robert Kyles on May 26th 1858 at Kilmarnock, and the marriage of James Kyles and Agnes Duncan on August 22nd 1873 at Dreghorn. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Margaret Kile, which was dated 1428, Glasgow, during the reign of King Henry V1, "The Founder of Eton", 1422 - 1461. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.