Nigel
A Latinized form, Nigellus, of the Irish Niall. Medieval scribes associated it with the Latin niger, black, though that link is a later invention.
Nigel in 2025
Nigel was given to 71 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 4,456th most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 46,695 babies born.
The history of Nigel
Nigel reached its highest point in 1994, when 455 babies were given the name, ranking 1,004th that year.
Across the 111 years of records since 1915, 12,371 babies have been named Nigel. Half of them were born before 1996, which places the name's centre of gravity with Millennials.
Nigel by decade
| Decade | Babies named Nigel | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 11 | 7,838 |
| 1920s | 12 | 7,377 |
| 1930s | 12 | 6,182 |
| 1940s | 34 | 5,964 |
| 1950s | 171 | 3,361 |
| 1960s | 317 | 2,566 |
| 1970s | 1,126 | 1,542 |
| 1980s | 1,963 | 1,259 |
| 1990s | 3,810 | 1,004 |
| 2000s | 2,845 | 1,252 |
| 2010s | 1,615 | 2,053 |
| 2020s | 455 | 3,706 |
Where Nigel is heading
Nigel has fallen 59% over the past decade, from 173 babies in 2015 to 71 in 2025.
Names like Nigel
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Nigel.