Namewise

Alfred vs Nigel

Alfred and Nigelcompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.

Head to head

Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.

  • England and Wales · Boys

    In 2025, Alfred was ranked #76 and Nigel #3684 among boys in England and Wales.

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys

    In 2025, Alfred was ranked #286 and Nigel #676 among boys in Republic of Ireland.

Alfred and Nigel over time

Alfred and Nigel appear together in 2 published lists, across 58 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.

The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.

Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.

Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.

How this pair is related

The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Alfred and Nigel were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 31 years, from 1964 to 2025, ending at #286 and #676.

List by list

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys31 shared years, 19642025

    Alfred held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Nigel in 24.

    Highest recorded here: Alfred #134 in 1964, Nigel #67 in 1975.

    The order changed in 2010: Alfred moved ahead. In 2009 they stood at #472 and #472; by 2010 that had become #400 and #720.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Alfred #286, Nigel #676.

  • England and Wales · Boys27 shared years, 19962025

    Alfred held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Nigel in 0.

    Highest recorded here: Alfred #76 in 2023, Nigel #552 in 1996.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Alfred #76, Nigel #3684.

Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Alfred, Nigel
FieldAlfredNigel
Record typeOfficial statistical record (evidence-only)Official statistical record (evidence-only)
Gender usagemalemale
MeaningNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
OriginNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
PronunciationNot yet recorded
Syllables22
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageGB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NOAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ
Most recent popularity observationNorway · Boys #26 (2025)Republic of Ireland · Boys #676 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)Not yet recordedNot yet recorded
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)88/10094/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Alfred and Nigel both have 2 syllables.
  • Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.

How each name got here

Alfred

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1945

    First recorded at #127 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Norway · Boys

  2. Highest recorded1945–2025

    Highest recorded position: #18 among boys in Norway, in 2023 (recorded 1945–2025).

    Norway · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #76 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Boys

Nigel

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1954

    First recorded at #72 among boys in New Zealand in 1954 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    New Zealand · Boys

  2. Highest recorded1954–1983

    Highest recorded position: #27 among boys in New Zealand, in 1969 (recorded 1954–1983).

    New Zealand · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #3684 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Boys