Nigel
How to say it: NY-juhl · /ˈnaɪdʒəl/
Anglicization of the medieval Latin Nigellus, a diminutive of Niger meaning 'black'; associated with Neil in Britain.
Nigel was the 1,679th most popular boys’ name in the United States in 2025, given to 71 babies (Social Security Administration). Its busiest decade was the 1990s, its births are down about 57% in ten years, and it is projected to slip to #2,151 by 2030.
Updated · SSA 2025 data, published May 2026 · How we compute these figures
Key facts
| Rank among boys’ names, 2025 | #1,679 |
|---|---|
| Babies born in 2025 | 71 |
| Share of births | 1 in 46,694 |
| Peak decade | 1990s |
| Change over 10 years | −57% |
| Projected rank for 2030 (estimate) | #2,151 |
Sources: Social Security Administration (SSA). How we compute these figures.
Its life, decade by decade
Nigel peaked in the 1990s and is less common today.
What goes with it
In the classroom
In a class of 25 children born in 2025, the chance that another child is called Nigel is about under 1 in 200.
Around the world
This spelling is used in English, French.
Famous people named Nigel
- Nigel Mansell (born 1953)British racing driver
- Nigel de Jong (born 1984)Dutch association football player
- Nigel Short (born 1965)English chess player and writer
From Wikidata and Wikipedia
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