The Wylie surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 11,975 people carried this name — #2,993 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 24,600 people counted. That is up 3% from 11,631 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Wylie surname

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a local name, from where the family lived: ‘of Willey’ — the first of the origins he gives.

An early record he cites: Richard de Wileye, Cambridgeshire, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

His entry covers Wylie, Wyllie and Willey.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 831 · public domain.

In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890

Ireland registered 51 births for the Wylie name in 1890.

Most were registered in Ulster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 2,300 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time. 19 of them were indexed under other spellings of the name. The Registrar-General’s note on the name: “Antrim.”

Where it concentrates, on the map

Where they were born, 1890

Ulster 49
Munster 2

Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.

In Scotland, 1880s

Wylie and Wyllie, counted together, were 25 in every 10,000 names in Scotland.

That is about 1 in 400. Its home there, in Guppy’s words: “Found over a large part of Scotland, but rare in the north.” He counted the more than 20,000 names in Halliburton’s County Directory of Scotland, taking Scotland as a whole, and listed only the names that reached 10 in every 10,000.

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), appendix: alphabetical list of the most frequent Scottish names, p. 595 — public domain · names in Halliburton’s County Directory of Scotland, per 10,000 for the whole country.

In Scotland’s registers today

Wylie was recorded 58 times in Scotland’s registers of births, marriages and deaths in 2025.

That made it the 454th most common name in those registers, shared with others on the same count. In 1975, the first year of the series, the count was 125. Each birth counts the child’s surname, each marriage both partners’ and each death the surname of the person who died — a yearly count of registrations, not of the people who live in Scotland.

National Records of Scotland, «Most Common Surnames, 2025» (published 26 May 2026): every surname recorded 10 or more times in the 2025 registers, and the series from 1975 · different spellings are counted separately — © Crown copyright 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

In print

Wylie in American newspapers,
1906–1910.

Newspaper page from The Baraboo News carrying the name Wylie
The Baraboo News 1906-09-12
Newspaper page from The Tacoma Times carrying the name Wylie
The Tacoma Times 1910-02-26
Newspaper page from Lincoln County Leader carrying the name Wylie
Lincoln County Leader 1907-05-31

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 104,371 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Wylie in Australian newspapers,
1820s–1990s.

34,356 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Wylie. The most, 6,903, date from the 1910s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in South Australia, at 1.5 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 10,039
Victoria 6,942
South Australia 5,933
Queensland 5,317
Western Australia 3,627
Tasmania 2,267
ACT (Canberra) 149
Northern Territory 18

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Wylie.

Who carried it

People named Wylie,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Sir James Wylie
    Sir James Wylie 1766–1854 · physician
  • Samuel B. Wylie
    Samuel B. Wylie 1773–1852
  • William Wyllie
    William Wyllie 1802–1891 · military officer
  • James Aitken Wylie
    James Aitken Wylie 1808–1890 · historian of religion
  • Alexander Wylie
    Alexander Wylie 1815–1887 · mathematician

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 216 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Wylie,
in the records of 7 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States1,548 records

1,548 records of the Wylie name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 483
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 325
  • Other U.S. records 740
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record George W. Wylie

    Born 1914 in Kansas. Enlisted 1942 at Santa Fe, New Mexico; mechanic from San Miguel County, New Mexico. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1979, buried at Fort Bliss National Cemetery, Texas.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Jane Wylie

    Arrived at New York in 1884 aboard the Devonia from Glasgow and Moville, aged 26; servant. From Glasgow, Scotland.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Joseph Dunn Wylie

    Born 1947; from Belleville, Illinois. U.S. Marine Corps, rifleman; killed in action 1967 in Quang Nam, South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)

Showing 3 of 1,548 records for Wylie in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · New York State, Open NY (police and firefighter memorial rolls) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain).

Australia1,245 records

1,245 records of the Wylie name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 607
  • Tasmanian Names Index 261
  • Other Australian records 377
  1. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record David Wylie

    Died 1927 in Bothwell, Tasmania. Will registered in Tasmania in 1927.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Mary Ellen Wylie

    Born 1871 in Green Ponds, Tasmania. Married 1896 in Green Ponds, Tasmania, aged 24.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Thomas Wylie

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Henry Tanner, arriving 1834; certificate of freedom 1845.

    Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY)

Showing 3 of 1,245 records for Wylie in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain).

Canada173 records

173 records of the Wylie name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 70
  • City of Calgary cemetery records 30
  • Other Canadian records 73
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record James Wylie

    Came to Ontario in 1867 aboard the St Lawrance, landing at Quebec, bound for St Catharines, Ontario; English.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Patricia Wylie

    Died 1987, aged 46; buried at St. Vital Cemetery, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

    City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Elizabeth Clark Wylie

    Died 1966 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 3 of 173 records for Wylie in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · Contains information provided by the City of Waterloo under licence. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

United Kingdom94 records

94 records of the Wylie name in the United Kingdom
  • Stirling Council burial records 65
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 24
  • Scottish rolls of honour, First World War 5
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Mary Wylie

    Buried in 1912 at Ballengeich Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland, aged 79.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record James Wylie

    Died 1916. Named in the roll of honour for the burgh and parish of Auchterarder (1920).

    National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record L. Wylie

    Royal West Kent Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1919.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 94 records for Wylie in the United Kingdom.

Counts: Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

New Zealand53 records

53 records of the Wylie name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 43
  • Waimakariri District cemetery records, Canterbury 4
  • Other New Zealand records 6
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Edith Annie Wylie

    Died 1961, aged 71; buried at Bromley Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Mary Ann Wylie

    Died 1905, aged 58; buried at Omaka Cemetery, Marlborough.

    Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Livre d’or of the French war dead, Paris
    Example: roll of the war dead
    War record F. Wylie

    New Zealand Cyclist Corps. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 53 records for Wylie in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Waimakariri District Council (CC BY 4.0) · Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Canterbury Maps (Environment Canterbury), Timaru and Mackenzie District Councils (CC BY 3.0 NZ) · Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Livre d’or of the war dead, Paris, Ministère des pensions, Archives nationales (CC0).

France2 records

2 records of the Wylie name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Isabelle Wylie

    Born 1912 in Great Britain; died 1998 in Chantilly (Oise).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Eileen Wylie

    Born 1918 in the United Kingdom; died 1992 in Les Choux (Loiret).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Netherlands2 records

2 records of the Wylie name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 1
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 1
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Agnes Ann Paterson Wylie

    Married in 1946 in Velsen; "telefoniste".

    Open Archives, Noord-Hollands Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record William Wylie

    Married in 1653 in Rotterdam.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Wylie.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Wylie is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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