Rigel
2025 SSA
Below 5 births
About Rigel
This might sound and look like a blend of Ryan, Riley, and Nigel, but it is in fact the name of the seventh brightest star in the sky. Found in the constellation of Orion, its name comes from the Arabic phrase, Rijl Jauzah al Yusrā, , meaning "the left foot of the central one."
Rigel for boys#5158 US
Associated with stargazing and astronomy, it may appeal to those looking for a celestial choice, as it did for Danish astronomer, Ejnar Hertzprung and his wife Henrietta Kapteyn (the daughter of another astronomer), who chose it for their daughter in in the early 20th century.
Given to 15 boys in 2024, it could make a familiar but unexpected choice.
Rigel for girls
The name of the seventh brightest star in the sky, Rigel was chosen by the Danish astronomer, Ejnar Hertzprung, and his wife Henrietta Kapteyn (the daughter of another astronomer) for their daughter back in the early 20th century. Derived for the Arabic Rijil meaning "foot, leg", it appears in the Orion constellation.
Sporadically used for girls, it is more consistently, though quietly, used for boys.
Pronounced RY-jel.
As of October 2026, Rigel ranked #5158 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #3349 in 2016.
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank | Births | Per million |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #4,502 | 22 | 11.5 |
| 2015 | #3,966 | 27 | 14.1 |
| 2016 | #3,349 | 34 | 17.9 |
| 2017 | #4,080 | 26 | 14 |
| 2018 | #3,356 | 34 | 18.7 |
| 2019 | #4,609 | 22 | 12.3 |
| 2020 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | #4,461 | 23 | 13.1 |
| 2022 | #4,982 | 20 | 11.5 |
| 2023 | #4,710 | 22 | 12.9 |
| 2024 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | — | 0 | 0 |
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Rigel on lists
Famous Rigels
- The Danish astronomer Ejnar Hertzsprung (1873Girl
1967) and his Dutch wife Henrietta Kapteyn (1881,1956; daughter of the astronomer Jacobus Kapteyn) named their daughter Rigel (1916,1993). She was their only child and was directly named after the star.
Rigel in pop culture
- RigelBoy
brightest star in the constellation Orion