In the Mid 20th century Nigel was a very popular name indeed. Today however, Nigel is supposedly a dying breed, in 2,079th place on the leader board of Britain’s top baby name 2014, with a mere 10 boys being named it.
Perhaps the recent decline is thanks to the controversy surrounding Former UKIP leader Nigel Farage. Or perhaps it can be traced back to XTC’s famous song Making Plans For Nigel, which many Nigel’s were constantly reminded of whenever they introduced themselves. Either way, the end may be Nige for this unique name.
Table of England and Wales Nigels: (Courtesy of Wikipedia)
| Year | Number |
|---|---|
| 1840 | 1 |
| 1850 | 2 |
| 1860 | 1 |
| 1870 | 7 |
| 1880 | 8 |
| 1890 | 10 |
| 1900 | 18 |
| 1910 | 24 |
| 1920 | 71 |
| 1930 | 164 |
| 1940 | 445 |
| 1950 | 1943 |
| 1960 | 4383 |
| 1963 | 5529 |
| 1970 | 2469 |
| 1980 | 413 |
| 1990 | 125 |
| 2000 | 25 |
| 2010 | 18 |
| 2014 | 10 |
| 2015 | 9 |
| 2016 | ≤2 |