Is Rigel a boy or girl name?

Rigel is a boy’s name. Of the 642 Americans recorded with the name since 1880, 1.6% were girls and 98.4% were boys.

Rigel

Recorded 1976–2025 · United States

Rigel was most popular in 2016, when 34 American babies were given the name — ranking #7,307 that year. In 2025 it ranked #10,631, with 19 births. Across 1880–2025 the Social Security Administration has recorded 642 people named Rigel.

Rigel over time

Births per year. The dot marks Rigel’s peak in 2016. Gaps are years the SSA suppressed, which it does for any name given to fewer than five babies.

Is Rigel a boy’s or a girl’s name?

Across the whole record Rigel is a boy’s name — 1.6% of the 642 Americans given it were girls and 98.4% were boys. In births since 2016 it is 0% girls and 100% boys.

Counted from every US birth the Social Security Administration recorded under this name, so it reflects use rather than opinion. A name given to fewer than five babies of one sex in a year is withheld at source and is not counted.

Names that peaked alongside Rigel

Explore further

See Rigel on the interactive charts

Source: U.S.A. Social Security Administration. Years 1880–2025. namelegacy.org