A descriptive name, from Gaelic maol, "bald." Richard Moill was tenant of Uthircloy, Ardmanoch, 1504 (ER., XII, p. 661). Perhaps now merged in Miln and Milne.

These three names are all rather rare, Moyles being more numerous then the other two. It is only since the beginning of the nineteenth century that that is so. Up to 1750 Moyles hardly appears at all while Moyle is met frequently from an early date: for example Hugh Moyle was a Kildare witness in 1235, two of the name were jurors in Waterford in 1312, two brothers Moyle give a pledge at Clonmel in 1457 and Moyles are named among the 1544 muster of kern in all parts of the country, a Moyle of Co. Wicklow was among the men outlawed for participation in the Rising of 1641, and so on in deeds, rolls, fiants, wills, marriage licence bonds etc. In the latter relating to the Cloyne diocese Moyles, equated with Miles, begins to appear in the eighteenth century. In that and similar cases the name is derived either from the Latin miles (a soldier) or from the forename Milo. In some of the earlier instances Moyle may be the word maol (bald), an epithet which, like rua and láidir eventually became a hereditary surname: this might be expected among the kern; one of them in MacGinness's muster (i.e. from east Ulster) is returned as Rory O'Moyle, but as there is no surname resembling that we may regard the insertion of the O as one of those not infrequent clerical errors which often make the identification of mediaeval and early modern personal and place-names difficult. An occasional MacMoyle has also been noticed.

Birth registrations show that a century ago the name Moyles was quite numerous in Co. Mayo but little known elsewhere, while Moyle was already extremely rare.

Now the names under consideration are not closely associated with any particular part of the country.

(See also Mullery infra)

(Celtic) 1 Shaven One; Monk, Disciple [Irish and Gaelic mael, maol, prim.

‘ bald ’] 2 Dweller on or by a Bald or Bare Hill or Headland [same etymology]

The frequent occurrence of Moyle in mediaeval records arises from its use as an epithetal surname, i.e.

maol (bald). SIF 117

Not from mule, as the family appear to have imagined when they assumed for arms, ' Gules, a moyle or mule passant Argent;' but from a place in or contiguous to the parish of St. Minvor, co. Cornwall. D. Gilbert's Cornwall, ii. 67.

From Moyle near St. Minver, where the family flourished for several generations. They are said to have originally descended from the Moyles of Tresurans, in St. Columb, or the Moyles of Bodmin. The arms of this family are, Gules, a moyle (mule) passant, Argent. The name is from moelh, a blackbird; or perhaps rather from moel, bald, bare (place). compare the surname Mole, and the Welsh name Moei signifying "bald."

Moyle was the name of a distinguished family of gentry residing at Bake, near St. Germans, during the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries. John Moyle, of Bake, was high sheriff for the county in 1737, and Sir Walter Moyle held the same office in 1671 (G. and P.). The name is at present numerous in the neighbourhood of Helston.