Lyell  Lyell is a surname of Scotland traced to Radulphus de Insula, 11th-century Lord of Duchal Castle. "De insula" was subsequently translated into the Old French "de l'isle" and developed into a number of variants ([de] Lyell; [de] Lisle; [de] Lyle; see below). John Lyell in 1706 emigrated to Virginia and is the progenitor of the American Lyells. Lyell may refer to: