Nigel

Boy name

Nigel has been given to 12,371 babies in the U.S. since 1915. It peaked in 1994.

Meaning & origin /ˈnaɪd͡ʒəl/

English form of Latin Nigellus, from nigellus (“slightly black”), diminutive of niger (“black”), used in the Middle Ages to Latinize Norman Néel and Old Irish Níall, from which the former is derived via Old Norse Njáll. Compare Neil.

Origin: Latin

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Popularity over time births per year, 1880–2025

Hover or tap the chart to read any year.

Total babies

12,371

Peak year

1994 (455 babies)

Rank in 2025

Below top 1000

First recorded

1915

10-year trend

▼ -59%

Gender split

1% girls / 99% boys

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