UK boy's name
Tighe
Anglicized spelling of the Irish given name Tadhg, meaning warrior or poet.
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Tighe is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Tighe popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4270, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2020, with 6 births.
This profile covers 66 England and Wales registrations across 17 recorded years from 1998 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 67% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 66 living people in the UK are called Tighe. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Tighe ranked #4270 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 4 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2020, when 6 boys were registered as Tighe.
- • About 66 living people in the UK are estimated to have Tighe as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4270
2024
Births in 2024
4
Latest year
Peak year
2020
6 births
Estimated living
66
2026
Meaning
What does Tighe mean?
The given name Tighe originates from the Irish language and has its roots in the Gaelic word "tadhg," which means a poet, philosopher, or storyteller. The name is believed to have emerged in ancient Ireland, particularly among the Celtic populations of the island, during the early medieval period.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 6th century AD, when Saint Tighernach, an Irish monk and scholar, lived and worked. Saint Tighernach was renowned for his contributions to the field of Irish hagiography and is celebrated as the patron saint of the Diocese of Clones in County Monaghan, Ireland.
The name Tighe gained further prominence in the 9th century AD when Tigernach Ua Braein, an Irish annalist and chronicler, documented significant events of his time in the Annals of Tigernach. This historical text, written in the Irish language, provides valuable insights into the political and social landscapes of medieval Ireland.
Throughout the Middle Ages and into the Renaissance period, the name Tighe was associated with several notable individuals. One such figure was Tighe O'Brien (1591-1642), an Irish soldier and landowner who fought for the Catholic Confederation during the Irish Confederate Wars of the 1640s.
In the 18th century, Tighe Barry (1725-1803) was an Irish politician and landowner who served as a member of the Irish Parliament for several years. He was also a prominent supporter of the United Irishmen, a revolutionary republican movement that sought to establish an independent Irish republic.
Another prominent bearer of the name was Tighe Browne (1829-1897), an Irish-born Australian politician and landowner. He served as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly and was instrumental in the development of the Australian wool industry.
While the name Tighe has its origins in Ireland and is deeply rooted in Irish culture and history, it has also been adopted by individuals from various backgrounds and ethnicities over the centuries. The name continues to carry connotations of storytelling, wisdom, and intellectual pursuits, reflecting its ancient Gaelic roots.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Tighe over time
The chart below shows babies named Tighe registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1998 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Tighe, the clearest high point is 2020. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2024, compared with 6 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Tighe by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Tighe was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #3718 | 24 | 5 |
| 2010s | #4140 | 19 | 5 |
| 2000s | #3640 | 20 | 6 |
| 1990s | #2901 | 3 | 1 |
Related
Names similar to Tighe
- Thomas 160,894
- Tyler 42,147
- Theo 40,594
- Toby 32,482
- Theodore 30,211
- Tommy 25,300
- Teddy 20,781
- Taylor 14,354
- Tobias 13,102
- Tom 9,822
- Tristan 9,171
- Timothy 6,200
FAQ
Tighe: questions and answers
How popular is the name Tighe in the UK right now?
In 2024, Tighe was ranked #4270 for boys in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.
When was Tighe most popular?
The peak year on record was 2020, with 6 babies registered as Tighe in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Tighe?
Anglicized spelling of the Irish given name Tadhg, meaning warrior or poet.
How many people are called Tighe in the UK?
A total of 66 babies have been registered as Tighe across the 17 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.