Tighe

A boy's name of Irish origin with 518 recorded U.S. births.

Boy's nameRare nameNot ranked recently

Meaning & Origin

A surname.

Tighe is a boy's baby name of Irish origin, an anglicization of the Irish surname Ó Taidhg, meaning 'descendant of Tadhg,' with Tadhg meaning 'poet' or 'philosopher' in Old Irish. The name carries the intellectual and artistic tradition of the Celtic bard.

Tighe has the crisp, distinctive quality of Irish names that compress centuries of history into a single syllable. It evokes the ancient Irish tradition of the poet as a revered figure in society — someone who holds knowledge, memory, and song as their sacred craft.

EtymologyShow more

Names travel. They cross oceans, change spelling, shift pronunciation, and accumulate new associations with each culture that adopts them. Tighe is rooted in the Irish tradition, but its presence in American naming since 1949 means it has been shaped by English phonetics, local customs, and the cultural context of the families who chose it.

Tighe’s 518 recorded births suggest it has found a niche — possibly within a specific cultural community, region, or naming subculture within the broader American landscape.

At a Glance

Unranked

Current Rank

518

Total births

Since 1949

1979

Peak year

20 births

Compare Tighe with another name

Popularity Over Time

Tighe has 52+ years of history in the U.S., first appearing in 1949.

First appeared: 1949Peak: 1979 (20 births)

Popularity by Decade

Decade-by-decade popularity data for Tighe
Decade	Births	Avg Rank	Trend
2020s	28	#10817	▼
2010s	102	#8411	▼
2000s	122	#6711	▲
1990s	84	#6530	▲
1980s	75	#5283	▼
1970s	92	#4072	▲
1950s	6	#3906	▼
1940s	9	#2786	—

The Story of Tighe

A Gen X name

Peaking in 1979, Tighe is a Gen X staple. Boys named Tighe are most likely born between 1969 and 1989.

How rare is Tighe?

With 518 total births on record, Tighe remains a rare and distinctive pick.

The journey through the decades

First appeared in the records in 1949, grew steadily over the decades, peaked in the 2000s with 122 births that decade, and has gracefully settled into a quieter chapter.

Tighe by the numbers

Would fill 11 school buses
Meeting one Tighe per day would take 1.4 years

Year-by-Year Data

View complete yearly data(52 years, 1949–2023)

Year-by-year popularity data for the name Tighe
Year	Births	Rank	Change
2023	8	#9648	+2 (33.3%)
2022	6	#12165	0
2021	6	#11983	-2 (-25.0%)
2020	8	#9470	-2 (-20.0%)
2019	10	#8145	+4 (66.7%)
2018	6	#11994	-4 (-40.0%)
2017	10	#8083	+4 (66.7%)
2016	6	#12018	-7 (-53.8%)
2015	13	#6638	+4 (44.4%)
2014	9	#8722	-1 (-10.0%)
2013	10	#8048	-5 (-33.3%)
2012	15	#5961	+3 (25.0%)
2011	12	#6963	+1 (9.1%)
2010	11	#7534	-7 (-38.9%)
2009	18	#5294	+4 (28.6%)
2008	14	#6362	+4 (40.0%)
2007	10	#8106	-3 (-23.1%)
2006	13	#6424	+2 (18.2%)
2005	11	#7057	-5 (-31.3%)
2004	16	#5223	+4 (33.3%)

Source: U.S. Social Security Administration. Showing years with 5+ recorded births.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Tighe a boy's or girl's name?

Tighe is primarily a boy's name.

When was Tighe most popular?

Tighe reached its peak popularity in 1979 with 20 births that year. It is not currently in the top rankings.

How popular is the name Tighe?

Tighe is not currently in the top rankings but has been given to 518 babies in the U.S. since 1949. Its peak was in 1979.

Explore More

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Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration, 1949–2023