Lyell is an uncommon yet distinguished male given name of Scottish origin. It is derived from the Scottish surname 'Leyll', which is an Anglicized form of the Gaelic 'MacGille Eile' meaning 'son of the servant of St. John'. This name was traditionally used as a Scottish nickname for someone with fair hair, as it means 'fair-haired'. The name gained prominence through Sir Charles Lyell (1797-1875), a Scottish geologist who is known for his influential work in establishing uniformitarianism in geological science. Today, Lyell remains a unique choice for parents seeking an uncommon yet historic and meaningful name for their child.
The name Lyell appears to have been moderately popular during the early-to-mid 20th century, with a peak of 12 births in 1920. However, it's important to note that these statistics only reflect annual birth counts and do not provide information about the overall popularity or distribution of the name throughout the entire period or across different regions.