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Nigel

Boy name · 126 babies recorded · 1974–2025

Nigel: 126 babies born in Scotland since 1974, given to boys, peaking at 16 births in 1975.

Though often perceived as distinctly English, Nigel actually derives from the Irish and Scottish Gaelic name *Niall*, meaning "champion" or "cloud". The Latinised form *Nigellus* gave rise to the medieval English Nigel, and it was particularly popular in Scotland through the early influence of the Anglo-Norman nobility. One of its most famous bearers is the celebrated Scottish physician Sir Nigel Gresley, though far more widely known is Nigel Farage, the prominent political figure. The name also gained royalist cachet through the fictional character Nigel, the loyal squire in Sir Walter Scott's novel *The Talisman*. A major place connection is the Scottish town of Nigg, whose name shares the same Gaelic root. Interestingly, the name saw a remarkable surge in popularity in Scotland during the 1960s, peaking around the same time as the television sitcom *The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin* featured a memorable character by that name.