Nigel - A very unique male name
Nigel at a glance
Nigel is ranked #2284 among boy baby names in 2025, with 24 births in 2025. It peaked in 1994 at #475 and first appeared on the charts in 1955.
- Rank in 2025
- #2284
- Births in 2025
- 24
- Peak year
- 1994 (#475)
- First appeared
- 1955
- Trend
- #2093 in 2020 → #2284 in 2025 (Falling)
- Popularity
- 1 in 61,095 boys
- Visitor rating
- 5.0/5 (1 recent votes)
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration · Data through 2025 · Updated 2026
With that position 1 in 61,095 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Nigel peaked in popularity 32 years ago in 1994 on position 475.
Famous with this name
Nigel Cooke
Nigel Davenport
Nigel Lindsay
How would you rate Nigel, 1-5?
Nigel is currently topping the charts in...
Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Nigel is currently topping the baby name charts in South Carolina at position #836 - and is the least popular in Texas at position #2,844.Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Nigel is where you live.
Comment and discuss
Nigel origin and meaning
Latin, via medieval French
From Nigellus, a Latin diminutive of niger, 'black', adopted as a form of the Irish name Niall in the Middle Ages
Nigel is a medieval Latinisation that became a distinctively British name. American use peaked in 1994 and it retains a British, slightly formal flavour in the US.
Attested etymology
Nigel is a 5 letter name with 2 syllables.
To see famous people named Nigel, pop culture references for the name Nigel and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.Similar to Nigel
We've found the following names that sound similar to Nigel, sorted by popularity.
Nikolai / Nikhil / Nikola / Nicola / Nicole / Nicolai / Nicolo / Niccolo / Nicholai / Nikolay /Name statistics
Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better
understanding of how popular or unique this name is.
With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually
differ a lot from state to state.
Chart position per year (visualized)
Chart position per state (visualized)
Chart position per year (table view)
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 2284 |
| 2024 | 2147 |
| 2023 | 2060 |
| 2022 | 2552 |
| 2021 | 1693 |
| 2020 | 2093 |
| 2019 | 1651 |
| 2018 | 1383 |
| 2017 | 1280 |
| 2016 | 1238 |
| 2015 | 1075 |
| 2014 | 1133 |
| 2013 | 1040 |
| 2012 | 1008 |
| 2011 | 1005 |
| 2010 | 945 |
| 2009 | 843 |
| 2008 | 827 |
| 2007 | 742 |
| 2006 | 692 |
| 2005 | 721 |
| 2004 | 762 |
| 2003 | 718 |
| 2002 | 645 |
| 2001 | 630 |
| 2000 | 578 |
| 1999 | 563 |
| 1998 | 542 |
| 1997 | 520 |
| 1996 | 527 |
| 1995 | 502 |
| 1994 | 475 |
| 1993 | 490 |
| 1992 | 515 |
| 1991 | 567 |
| 1990 | 573 |
| 1989 | 594 |
| 1988 | 646 |
| 1987 | 648 |
| 1986 | 632 |
| 1985 | 654 |
| 1984 | 679 |
| 1983 | 712 |
| 1982 | 782 |
| 1981 | 615 |
| 1980 | 707 |
| 1979 | 712 |
| 1978 | 825 |
| 1977 | 765 |
| 1976 | 814 |
| 1975 | 857 |
| 1974 | 834 |
| 1973 | 871 |
| 1972 | 842 |
| 1971 | 843 |
| 1970 | 1089 |
| 1969 | 1053 |
| 1968 | 1117 |
| 1967 | 1059 |
| 1966 | 1170 |
| 1965 | 1685 |
| 1964 | 1717 |
| 1963 | 1326 |
| 1961 | 1418 |
| 1960 | 1457 |
| 1959 | 1720 |
| 1957 | 1245 |
| 1955 | 1507 |
Chart position per state (table view)
| State | Rank |
|---|---|
| South Carolina | 836 |
| Florida | 1584 |
| California | 2143 |
| Texas | 2844 |
Even more about Nigel
These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.
Is Nigel a common or unique name?
By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.What is the number of syllables for the name Nigel?
2 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.Pronunciation
NY-jel · /ˈnaɪdʒəl/
Around the world
No traditional forms in other languages — this name was created in America in our own time.
Spellings and nicknames
Nicknames: Nige
Famous bearers
- Nigel Mansell — Formula One world champion racing driver (b. 1953) Contemporary
- Nigel Farage — British politician (b. 1964) Contemporary
Style
ClassicInternational
Why parents choose it
Nigel reads British and bookish in America — a deliberate, uncommon choice with real history behind it.
Worth knowing
- Strong British stereotype associations in American popular culture
