Myles
An Irish surname that often reflects anglicized Gaelic names built on the word for “devotee” or “servant” of a saint or lord.
The #2,591 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 22,215 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Myles is usually treated as an English spelling of Miles, a medieval name that was also influenced by Irish Gaelic forms. In Irish contexts, the surname can represent anglicized Gaelic names built on mael, meaning “devotee,” “servant,” or “tonsured one,” often followed by a saint’s name or a religious figure. The historical spellings and references in Irish sources show that Myles was used as an English rendering for several different Gaelic surnames, so its exact origin can vary by family.
History
In English records, Myles is closely tied to the older personal name Miles, which became hereditary as a surname. In Ireland, the form was used as an anglicized spelling for Gaelic names, especially in Munster and other areas where English clerks rendered local surnames into familiar English shapes. Because of that, modern bearers of Myles may have either English or Irish ancestral lines, and the name is not always from a single source.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
19th- and early-20th-century Irish surname writers often used Myles as an English equivalent for multiple Gaelic surnames, not just one.
From the historical record
“MYLER = Meyler, q.v. MYLES = iVilles, q.v. MYLOTT = Millot, q.v. MYNER 1 (A.-rr.-Celt.) Miner [Fr. miner, to M YNOR J mine ; of Celt, orig.] Masons and mynours, And manyothere craftes. — Piers Plowman, 44P-1.”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)