Total births
12,286
Boys' name · since 1929
Nigel
Since 1929, U.S. Social Security records show 12,286 babies named Nigel, peaking in 1994. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #2194
- among boys today
- 12,286
- born since 1929
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 85%
- more common than other boys
12,286 babies have been named Nigel since 1929, making it today's #2194 boys' name.
Social Security Administration records show Nigel recorded 12,286 times among boys since 1929, holding rank #2194 nationally today, ahead of 85% of boys, peaking in the 1990s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1929 to 2025.
- #2194 among boys today
- 12,286 born since 1929
- 1990s peak decade
- 85% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Nigel is currently the #2194 boys' name in America, more common than 85% of boys - 12,286 born since 1929, peaking in the 1990s.
- #2194
- among boys today
- 12,286
- born since 1929
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 85%
- more common than other boys
Nigel vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#2194
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 85% of names given to boys today.
1990s
Peak decade
31% of everyone ever named Nigel was born in this single decade.
1994
Single peak year
448 babies were named Nigel in 1994 - its busiest year on record.
How Nigel compares
12,286 Top 7% higher than 93% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Nigel's all-time total is 33x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Nigel | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 12,286 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 448 | 23 | 22,252 |
Nigel's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Nigel's full recorded timeline at 1984, 81% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 19% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1936, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1994 peak of 448 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Nigel at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1994
Current rank
#2,194
Active since
1929
Nigel popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1929–2025
- Peak year (1994)
- 448
- Annual births at peak, across 97 years of records
Nigel popularity over time - girls
85 total births recorded since 1915 (Nigel as girls' name)
Nigel by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1990s was Nigel's strongest decade.
3,791 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 31% of all-time use.
Nigel births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1920s 6
1920s
6 births
- 1930s 12
1930s
12 births
- 1940s 34
1940s
34 births
- 1950s 171
1950s
171 births
- 1960s 317
1960s
317 births
- 1970s 1,088
1970s
1,088 births
- 1980s
1980s
1,952 births
- 1990s
1990s
3,791 births
- 2000s
2000s
2,845 births
- 2010s
2010s
1,615 births
- 2020s 455
2020s
455 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 3,791 births (31% of all-time use).
How Nigel compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Nigel's total volume
Nigel vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Nigel by state
Where Nigel concentrates geographically, total births since 1929
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 1,533 | 12.5% |
| #2 | California | | 1,132 | 9.2% |
| #3 | Georgia | | 681 | 5.5% |
| #4 | Florida | | 626 | 5.1% |
| #5 | Texas | | 560 | 4.6% |
| #6 | North Carolina | | 488 | 4.0% |
| #7 | Illinois | | 437 | 3.6% |
| #8 | Pennsylvania | | 370 | 3.0% |
New York share of Nigel's total US births 12.5%
Even split
1,533 of 12,286 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 35 reporting states.
Nigel appears in 35 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Nigel? ▼
Nigel has been given to 12,286 babies in the U.S. since 1929, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #2194 as of the latest data. 448 babies were born in 1994, its single highest year.
When was Nigel most popular? ▼
Nigel was most popular in the 1990s decade with 3,791 total births. The single peak year was 1994.
Where is Nigel most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Nigel are New York (1,533 births), California (1,132 births), Georgia (681 births).
How long has the name Nigel been used? ▼
Records for Nigel go back to 1929, giving 97 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Nigel? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Niguel, Nigil, Night, Nigal, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Nigel's data
- Nigel's decade-level peak was the 1990s (3,791 total births); usage has since declined to 455 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Nigels (1,533 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Nigel
Nearby Names Like Nigel
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Nigel
Niguel Boy
153 births
Nigil Boy
91 births
Night Boy
18 births
Nigal Boy
16 births
Niger Boy
11 births
Compare Nigel side by side: Nigel vs Niguel Nigel vs Nigil Nigel vs Night
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Nigel
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1929–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Nigel: #2194 Boys' Name - 12,286 Births, Peak 1994." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/nigel. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Nigel draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.