Nigel

Meaning of Nigel

Nigel traces its etymological roots to the Latinized medieval name Nigellus—ultimately from niger, “black,” but also long regarded as an Anglo-Norman rendering of the Irish royal name Niall, “champion.” Popular with Norman clerics and knights, the name traveled to England after 1066, later filtering into American registers where its statistical peak—603rd in 2007—has since declined into the mid-800s. Pronounced NY-jəl, Nigel carries an unmistakably British timbre that evokes images ranging from Chaucer’s valiant Sir Nigel Loring to the tongue-in-cheek rock god Nigel Tufnel, whose amplifiers, like the name’s enduring appeal, famously “go to eleven.” For parents who favor a historically grounded choice with a quietly distinctive profile, Nigel offers both pedigree and a dash of understated wit.