boy's name
Nigel
- Origin Dutch
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 5
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 16,460
Northern Ireland
#317
2000 births
Nigel is a boy's name with 2 syllables. In 2025 it was given to 71 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
- Nigel is a name of Dutch origin.
- Peaked in 1994, when 455 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 46,696 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1915.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Nigel over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1910s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1910s | 11 |
| 1920s | 12 |
| 1930s | 12 |
| 1940s | 34 |
| 1950s | 171 |
| 1960s | 317 |
| 1970s | 1,126 |
| 1980s | 1,963 |
| 1990s | 3,810 |
| 2000s | 2,845 |
| 2010s | 1,615 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 455 |
How popular is Nigel?
In 2025, Nigel was given to 71 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Nigel is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Nigel
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Nigel also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Nigel over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Nigel in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
- Dutch
- Niel
Sibling names for Nigel
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Nigel — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Nigel
How popular is the name Nigel?
In 2025, Nigel was given to 71 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Is Nigel a girl's or a boy's name?
Nigel is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Nigel?
Nigel has 2 syllables.
When was Nigel most popular?
Nigel peaked in 1994, when 455 babies were given the name. It has been falling over the past decade.
Is Nigel a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Nigel currently ranks #771 in the United States. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.