Nigel ( ) is an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

masculine

given name A given name (also known as a forename or first name) is the part of a personal name quoted in that identifies a person, potentially with a middle name as well, and differentiates that person from the other members of a group (typically a fa ...

. The English ''Nigel'' is commonly found in records dating from the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

; however, it was not used much before being revived by 19th-century antiquarians. For instance,

Walter Scott Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet, playwright and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European and Scottish literature, notably the novels ''Ivanhoe'', ''Rob Roy (n ...

published ''

The Fortunes of Nigel ''The Fortunes of Nigel'' (1822) is one of the Waverley novels by Sir Walter Scott. Set in London in either 1623 or 1624, it centres on the Scottish community there after the Union of the Crowns and features James VI and I . Composition and so ...

'' in 1822, and

Arthur Conan Doyle Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle (22 May 1859 – 7 July 1930) was a British writer and physician. He created the character Sherlock Holmes in 1887 for ''A Study in Scarlet'', the first of four novels and fifty-six short stories about Ho ...

published ''

Sir Nigel ''Sir Nigel'' is a historical novel set during the early phase of the Hundred Years' War, spanning the years 1350 to 1356. It was written by British author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, first published in serial form during 1905–06 where it was ill ...

'' in 1905–06. As a name given for boys in

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

and

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...

, it peaked in popularity from the 1950s to the 1970s (see

below Below may refer to: *Earth *Ground (disambiguation) *Soil *Floor *Bottom (disambiguation) Bottom may refer to: Anatomy and sex * Bottom (BDSM), the partner in a BDSM who takes the passive, receiving, or obedient role, to that of the top or ...

). ''Nigel'' has never been as common in other countries as it is in Britain, but was among the 1,000 most common names for boys born in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

from 1971 to 2010. Numbers peaked in 1994 when 447 were recorded (it was the 478th most common boys' name that year). The peak popularity at 0.02% of boys' names in 1994 compares to a peak popularity in

England and Wales England and Wales () is one of the three legal jurisdictions of the United Kingdom. It covers the constituent countries England and Wales and was formed by the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542. The substantive law of the jurisdiction is Eng ...

of about 1.2% in 1963, 60 times higher.

Etymology

The name is derived from the church

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

'. This Latin word would at first sight seem to derive from the classical Latin ''nigellus'' (meaning dark or somewhat black), which is derived from ', meaning "black". However, this is now considered an example of an incorrect etymology created by French-speaking

cleric Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...

s, who knew Latin as well, to translate the

Norman Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries ** People or things connected with the Norm ...

first name ''Neel'' in the Latin written documents. The Latin word ' gave birth to

Old French Old French (, , ; Modern French: ) was the language spoken in most of the northern half of France from approximately the 8th to the 14th centuries. Rather than a unified language, Old French was a linkage of Romance dialects, mutually intelligib ...

' (modern '), meaning “

niello Niello is a black mixture, usually of sulphur, copper, silver, and lead, used as an inlay on engraved or etched metal, especially silver. It is added as a powder or paste, then fired until it melts or at least softens, and flows or is pushed ...

, black enamel” and it explains the confusion, because the clerics believed it was the same etymology as the first name ''Neel'', spelled the same way. Ultimately Nigel, via medieval Latin ''Nigellus'' and subsequently Norman ''Neel'' (modern surname ''Néel''), is derived from the Norse ''Njáll''. The Norse ''Njáll'', in turn, is derived from the Gaelic given name ''

Niall Niall is a male given name of Irish origin. The original meaning of the name is unknown, but popular modern sources have suggested that it means "champion" (derived from the Old Irish word ''niadh''),. According to John Ryan, Professor of Early an ...

''.

England and Wales

The following table shows the number of boys given the first name Nigel in specific years in

. Numbers peaked in about 1963. In 1964 it was the 23rd most popular boys' name. By 2016 the number of boys named Nigel had dropped below 3, the minimum number reported by the ONS.

Medieval figures

* (Néel de Saint-Sauveur), Norman baron at

Saint-Sauveur-le-Vicomte Saint-Sauveur-le-Vicomte () is a Communes of France, commune in the Manche Departments of France, department in Normandy (administrative region), Normandy in north-western France. It is situated in the Cotentin Peninsula near Valognes. Its populat ...

Cotentin The Cotentin Peninsula (, ; nrf, Cotentîn ), also known as the Cherbourg Peninsula, is a peninsula in Normandy that forms part of the northwest coast of France. It extends north-westward into the English Channel, towards Great Britain. To its w ...

Nigel D'Oyly Nigel D'Oyly was an 11th- and 12th-century nobleman of England and, in 1120, the Lord of Oxford Castle, and briefly the Lord of Wallingford Castle. Biography He was son of Walter D'Oyly and younger brother of Robert D'Oyly, follower of William th ...

(Néel d'Ouilly), Anglo-Norman lord *

Nigel d'Aubigny Nigel d'Aubigny (''Neel d'Aubigny'' or ''Nigel de Albini'', died 1129), was a Norman Lord and English baron who was the son of Roger d'Aubigny and Amice or Avice de Mowbray. His paternal uncle William was lord of Aubigny, while his father was an ...

(Néel d'Aubigny), Norman nobleman * Nigel (bishop of Ely) (Néel d'Ely), Anglo-Norman bishop *

Nigel de Longchamps Nigel de Longchamps, also known as ''Nigel Witeker'', (fl. c. 1190, died c. 1200), ''Neel de Longchamps'', or ''Nigel of Canterbury'', was an Anglo-Norman satirist and poet of the late twelfth century, writing in Latin. He is known to have been a mo ...

, 12th-century English poet

Notable people named Nigel

Nigel Ah Wong Nigel Ah Wong (born 30 May 1990) is a rugby union player, who currently plays as a centre for in New Zealand's domestic National Provincial Championship competition. He previously played for and in the Mitre 10 Cup and for the Brumbies in S ...

(born 1990), New Zealand rugby player *

Nigel Ayers Nigel Ayers (born 1957 in Tideswell, Derbyshire) is an English multimedia artist.Fernando Cerqueira, '' Antibothis Occultural Anthology Vol.3 p.72'' (Thisco Portugal, 2010), His sound art has included numerous audio releases and live performanc ...

(born 1957), English multimedia artist *

Nigel Barker (photographer) Nigel Barker (born 27 April 1972) is an English reality TV show personality, fashion photographer, author, spokesperson, filmmaker, and former model. He is best known for his participation as a judge and photographer on the reality show ''Americ ...

(born 1972), English fashion photographer *

Nigel Benn Nigel Gregory Benn (born 22 January 1964) is a British former professional boxer who competed from 1987 to 1996. He held world championships in two weight classes, including the WBO middleweight title in 1990 and the WBC super-middleweight ti ...

(born 1964), British boxer *

Nigel Bennett Nigel Bennett (born 19 November 1949) is a British-Canadian actor, director, and writer who has been based in Canada since 1986. He is best known for playing the vampire patriarch Lucien LaCroix in the TV series ''Forever Knight'', for which h ...

(born 1949), Anglo-Canadian actor, director, and writer * Nigel Benson (born 1955), British writer and illustrator *

Nigel Blackwell Half Man Half Biscuit are an English Rock music, rock band, formed in 1984 in Birkenhead, Merseyside. Known for their satirical, sardonic, and sometimes surreal songs, the band comprises lead singer and guitarist Nigel Blackwell, bassist and si ...

, English lead singer and guitarist of

Half Man Half Biscuit Half Man Half Biscuit are an English rock band, formed in 1984 in Birkenhead, Merseyside. Known for their satirical, sardonic, and sometimes surreal songs, the band comprises lead singer and guitarist Nigel Blackwell, bassist and singer Neil Cr ...

Nigel Bond Nigel Bond (born 15 November 1965) is an English former professional snooker player. Bond competed on the main tour from 1989 to 2022, and was ranked within the world's top 16 players between 1992 and 1999, peaking at 5th for the 1996–97 s ...

(born 1965), British snooker player *

Nigel Bonner William Nigel Bonner (15 February 1928 – 27 August 1994) was a British zoologist, Antarctic marine mammal specialist, author and ecologist. The topics of his books and scientific publications included marine animals, reindeer and the ecology of ...

(1928-1994), British zoologist and Antarctic marine mammal specialist *

Nigel Bruce William Nigel Ernle Bruce (4 February 1895 – 8 October 1953) was a British character actor on stage and screen. He was best known for his portrayal of Dr. Watson in a series of films and in the radio series ''The New Adventures of Sherlock H ...

(1895–1953), British actor *

Nigel Clough Nigel Howard Clough (born 19 March 1966) is an English professional football manager and former player who is currently the manager of Mansfield Town. Playing predominantly as a forward, but later in his career used as a midfielder, Clough was c ...

(born 1966), British footballer *

Nigel Cullen Richard Nigel Cullen, (5 June 1917 – 4 March 1941) was an Australian fighter ace of World War II. Serving with the Royal Air Force (RAF), he was credited with as many as sixteen aerial victories before being killed in action d ...

(1917–1941), Australian fighter ace of World War II *

Nigel Cumberland Nigel Cumberland is a British author, leadership coach and mentor, and a founder of The Silk Road Partnership. He is the author of nine self-development and leadership books, (note some are dups/combinations/re-issues) some of which have been se ...

, British author *

Nigel Dakin Nigel John Dakin (born 28 February 1964) is a British diplomat currently serving as Governor of the Turks and Caicos Islands. He assumed office on 15 July 2019 in a swearing-in ceremony before the territory's House of Assembly. On 15 December 2 ...

(born 1964), Soldier, Diplomat and Governor of the Turks and Caicos Islands *

Nigel Davenport Arthur Nigel Davenport (23 May 1928 – 25 October 2013) was an English stage, television and film actor, best known as the Duke of Norfolk and Lord Birkenhead in the Academy Award-winning films '' A Man for All Seasons'' and ''Chariots of Fir ...

(1928–2013), English actor *

Nigel Dick Nigel Dick (born 21 March 1953) is a British music video and film director, writer and musician from Catterick, England, now based in Los Angeles, California. He directed the Britney Spears videos " ...Baby One More Time" and " Oops!... I Did I ...

(born 1953), English director, writer, and musician *

Nigel Dodds Nigel Alexander Dodds, Baron Dodds of Duncairn, (born 20 August 1958), is a British unionist politician who has been the Leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) in the House of Lords since 2021, and was the deputy leader of the DUP ...

(born 1958), British/Northern Irish politician, MP (DUP) * Nigel Edwards (disambiguation) *

Nigel Evans Nigel Martin Evans (born 10 November 1957) is a British politician serving as the Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament (MP) for the Ribble Valley (UK Parliament constituency), Ribble Valley constituency in Lancashire si ...

(born 1957), British politician *

Nigel Farage Nigel Paul Farage (; born 3 April 1964) is a British broadcaster and former politician who was List of UK Independence Party leaders, Leader of the UK Independence Party (UKIP) from 2006 to 2009 and 2010 to 2016 and Brexit Party#Leaders, Lea ...

(born 1964), British politician, MEP (Brexit Party) *

Nigel Fountain Nigel Christopher Fountain (born 1944) is a British writer, journalist, editor and broadcaster. He has been a contributor to many publications including ''The Guardian'', ''The Observer'', ''The Sunday Times'', ''New Statesman'', '' The Oldie'', ...

(born 1944), British writer, journalist, editor and broadcaster *

Nigel Glockler Nigel Glockler (born 24 January 1953) is an English musician, best known as the longtime drummer for the heavy metal band Saxon, which he first joined in 1981. Career Glockler began his musical career in 1980 as the drummer for the British band ...

(born 1953), English drummer of the heavy metal band

Saxon The Saxons ( la, Saxones, german: Sachsen, ang, Seaxan, osx, Sahson, nds, Sassen, nl, Saksen) were a group of Germanic * * * * peoples whose name was given in the early Middle Ages to a large country (Old Saxony, la, Saxonia) near the Nor ...

Nigel Godrich Nigel Timothy Godrich (born 28 February 1971) is an English record producer, recording engineer and musician. He is known for his work with the English rock band Radiohead, having produced all their studio albums since '' OK Computer'' (1997). H ...

(born 1971), English recording engineer and record producer *

Nigel Green Nigel McGown Green (15 October 192415 May 1972) was an English character actor. Because of his strapping build, commanding height () and regimental demeanour he would often be found playing military types and men of action in such classic 1960s ...

(1924–1972), British actor *

Nigel Gresley Sir Herbert Nigel Gresley (19 June 1876 – 5 April 1941) was a British railway engineer. He was one of Britain's most famous steam locomotive engineers, who rose to become Chief Mechanical Engineer (CME) of the London and North Eastern Rai ...

(1876–1941), British steam locomotive engineer * Nigel Harris (disambiguation), multiple people *

Nigel Harte Nigel Harte is a Gaelic footballer who plays for Tyrrellspass and at senior level for the Westmeath county team. He was a U20 player in the 2018 All-Ireland Under 20 Football Championship. Harte won the 2022 Tailteann Cup. He was put in to t ...

, Westmeath Gaelic footballer *

Nigel Havers Nigel Allan Havers (born 6 November 1951) is an English actor. His film roles include Lord Andrew Lindsay in the 1981 British film ''Chariots of Fire'', which earned him a BAFTA nomination; as Dr. Rawlins in the 1987 Steven Spielberg war drama ...

(born 1951), English actor *

Nigel Hawthorne Sir Nigel Barnard Hawthorne (5 April 1929 – 26 December 2001) was an English actor. He is most known for his stage acting and his portrayal of Sir Humphrey Appleby, the permanent secretary in the 1980s sitcom '' Yes Minister'' and the Cabi ...

(1929–2001), English actor *

Nigel Hayes Nigel Hayes-Davis ( Hayes; born December 16, 1994) is an American professional basketball player for Fenerbahçe of the Turkish Basketbol Süper Ligi and the EuroLeague. He played college basketball for the Wisconsin Badgers. Hayes attended Whi ...

(born 1994), American basketball player *

Nigel Haywood Nigel Robert Haywood (born 17 March 1955) is a British diplomat, who served as British ambassador to Estonia from 2003 until 2008 and Governor of the Falkland Islands from 2010 until 2014. Early life Haywood was born in Betchworth, Surrey, b ...

(born 1955), Governor of the Falkland Islands *

Nigel Hess Nigel John Hess (born 22 July 1953) is a British composer, best known for his television, theatre and film soundtracks, including the theme tunes to ''Campion (1989 TV series), Campion'', ''Maigret (1992 TV series), Maigret'', ''Wycliffe (TV se ...

(born 1953), British composer *

Nigel Horspool R. Nigel Horspool is a retired professor of computer science, formerly of the University of Victoria. He invented the Boyer–Moore–Horspool algorithm, a fast string search algorithm adapted from the Boyer–Moore string-search algorithm. Horsp ...

, British-born inventor of the Boyer–Moore–Horspool algorithm *

Nigel Holmes Nigel Holmes (born 15 June 1942, Swanland, England) is a British/American graphic designer, author, and theorist, who focuses on information graphics and information design. Biography Graduating from Royal College of Art in London in 1966, H ...

(born 1942), British graphic designer *

Nigel Irens Nigel Irens RDI is a leading yacht designer. Amongst his designs are the ''Adventurer,'' a 35m trimaran motor yacht which completed a record-breaking circumnavigation in 1998, and ''B&Q/Castorama'' a 23 m sailing trimaran used by Ellen MacAr ...

, British yacht designer *

Nigel de Jong Nigel de Jong (born 30 November 1984) is a Dutch former professional footballer who played as a defensive midfielder. He is currently the technical director of the KNVB, the national Dutch soccer federation. he has also worked as an English lang ...

(born 1984), Dutch footballer *

Nigel Keay Nigel Keay (born 1955) is a New Zealand composer. He has been a freelance musician since 1983 working as a composer, violist, and violin teacher. Nigel Keay has held the following composer residencies: Mozart Fellowship, University of Otago 1986 ...

(born 1955), New Zealand violist and composer *

Nigel Kennedy Nigel Kennedy (born 28 December 1956) is an English violinist and violist. His early career was primarily spent performing classical music, and he has since expanded into jazz, klezmer, and other music genres. Early life and background Kenn ...

(born 1956), British violinist and violist *

Nigel Kneale Thomas Nigel Kneale (28 April 1922 – 29 October 2006) was a Manx screenwriter who wrote professionally for more than 50 years, was a winner of the Somerset Maugham Award, and was twice nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best British S ...

(1922–2006), British scriptwriter *

Nigel Latta Nigel Latta, (born 1967) is a New Zealand psychologist and author. He is also the host of the television show ''Beyond the Darklands (New Zealand TV series), Beyond The Darklands'', ''The Politically Incorrect Guide to Teenagers'' and ''The Po ...

(born 1967), New Zealand psychologist *

Nigel Lawson Nigel Lawson, Baron Lawson of Blaby, (born 11 March 1932) is a British Conservative Party politician and journalist. He was a Member of Parliament representing the constituency of Blaby from 1974 to 1992, and served in the cabinet of Margaret ...

(born 1932), British politician, Chancellor of the Exchequer *

Nigel Lythgoe Nigel Lythgoe OBE (; born 9 July 1949), also known as Nasty Nigel, is an English television and film director and producer, television dance competition judge, former dancer in the Young Generation and choreographer. He was the producer of the ...

(born 1949), English television, film director and producer *

Nigel Mansell Nigel Ernest James Mansell, (; born 8 August 1953) is a British retired racing driver who won both the Formula One World Championship (1992) and the CART Indy Car World Series ( 1993). Mansell was the reigning F1 champion when he moved over ...

(born 1953), British racing car driver *

Nigel Martyn Antony Nigel Martyn (born 11 August 1966) is an English football coach and former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He notably played in the Premier League for Crystal Palace, Leeds United and Everton, having initially playe ...

(born 1966), British football goalkeeper *

Nigel Marven Nigel Alan Marven (born 27 November 1960) is a British wildlife TV presenter, naturalist, conservationist, author, and television producer. He is best known as presenter of the BBC miniseries '' Chased by Dinosaurs'', its sequel, '' Sea Monsters ...

(born 1960), British wildlife television presenter/producer, author, and hobby ornithologist *

Nigel McGuinness Steven Haworth (born 23 January 1976), better known by his ring name Nigel McGuinness, is an English actor, professional wrestling commentator and retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his time with WWE where he worked as a color ...

(born 1976), British wrestler *

Nigel Melville Nigel David Melville (born 6 January 1961) is a former England national rugby union team scrum half and captain and currently serves as Director of Professional Rugby for Rugby Football Union. Melville became the youngest player to captain E ...

(born 1961), English rugby player, coach, and administrator *

Nigel Miguel Nigel Patrick Miguel (born April 8, 1963) is a Belizean-American actor, film producer, and technical advisor who is the film commissioner for Belize. He is also a former professional basketball player. A native of Belize, he immigrated to the Un ...

(born 1963), Belizean-American actor, film producer, film commissioner, basketball player *

Nigel Mitchell Nigel Mitchell is a British television and radio presenter and voice-over artist. Early life and education Nigel was born in Kingston Upon Thames. He attended Shrewsbury House School in Surbiton, from where he gained a scholarship to Reed's ...

, British television presenter and radio presenter * Nigel Morris (born 1958), British businessman and co-founder of Capital One *

Nigel Murch Stewart Nigel Clifford Murch (27 June 1944 – 15 July 2020) was an Australian cricketer active from 1966 to 1970 who played for Northamptonshire and Victoria. Born in Warrnambool, Victoria, Murch appeared in ten first-class matches as a righ ...

(1944–2020), Australian cricketer *

Nigel Ng Nigel Ng Kin-ju ( ; born 15 March 1991) is a Malaysian stand-up comedian and Internet celebrity based in England. Ng is better known by his Online identity, online persona Uncle Roger, a stereotypical middle-aged Asian man reviewing Asian food ...

(born 1991), Malaysian stand-up comedian *

Nigel Northridge Nigel Hargreaves Northridge (born January 1956) is a British businessman, the chairman of Hogg Robinson Group since April 2016, and was the chairman of the British multinational department store chain, Debenhams from April 2010 to April 2016. Ea ...

(born 1956), British businessman *

Nigel Oakes Nigel John Oakes (born July 1962) is a British businessman, and the founder and CEO of Behavioural Dynamics Institute and SCL Group (formerly Strategic Communication Laboratories), the parent company of Cambridge Analytica and her sister Aggregat ...

(born 1962), British businessman *

Nigel Olsson Nigel Olsson (born 10 February 1949) is an English rock drummer and singer best known for his long-time affiliation with Elton John. A dynamic drummer and backing vocalist, Olsson helped establish the Elton John sound as a member of the Elton J ...

(born 1949), drummer for Elton John, solo recording artist *

Nigel Owens Nigel Owens, (born 18 June 1971) is a Welsh former international rugby union referee, who retired in December 2020 after a 17-year career. He currently holds the world record for the most test matches refereed and is one of five international re ...

(born 1971), Welsh rugby referee *

Nigel Pivaro Nigel Pivaro (born 11 December 1959) is an English actor and journalist. He is best known for playing Terry Duckworth, the son of Jack and Vera Duckworth in ''Coronation Street''. Career Pivaro was born in Manchester, England to an Italian ...

(born 1959), English actor, he played as Terry Duckworth in ''Coronation Street'' *

Nigel Planer Nigel George Planer (born 22 February 1953) is a British actor, comedian, musician, novelist and playwright. He played Neil in the BBC comedy '' The Young Ones'' and Ralph Filthy in ''Filthy Rich & Catflap''. He has appeared in many West End mu ...

(born 1953), English actor *

Nigel Plum Nigel Plum is a journeyman Australian former professional rugby league footballer. He played for the Sydney Roosters, Canberra Raiders and Penrith Panthers in the National Rugby League. He was known for his tackling technique, most notably cutt ...

, Australian rugby player *

Nigel Poor ''Ear Hustle'' is a non-fiction podcast about prison life and life after incarceration created by Earlonne Woods and Antwan Williams, both formerly incarcerated, and Nigel Poor, an artist who volunteers at San Quentin State Prison. In 2016, it ...

, American podcaster *

Nigel Reo-Coker Nigel Shola Andre Reo-Coker (born 14 May 1984) is an English former professional footballer who played as a midfielder, as well as a football commentator and pundit for CBS Sports. Reo-Coker came through the youth team ranks at Wimbledon, and h ...

(born 1984), English footballer * Nigel Richards (born 1967), five times World Scrabble Champion *

Nigel Rodgers Nigel Rodgers (born 1953) is a British writer, environmentalist and critic. Rodgers has a degree in history and history of art from Cambridge University. He is the founder of Pipedown, the Campaign for Freedom from Piped Music, and is a member ...

(born 1952), British author *

Nigel Roberts Dr Nigel Roberts FIoD FBCS FRSA is a British computer scientist. Early life Roberts was born in Liverpool and grew up in Lancashire. Education Educated at Wigan and Prescot Grammar Schools, he received his first degree in Computer Science f ...

, British computer scientist *

Nigel Short Nigel David Short (born 1 June 1965) is an English chess grandmaster, columnist, coach, and commentator, who is the vice-president of FIDE since October 2018. Short earned the Grandmaster title at the age of 19, and was ranked third in the w ...

(born 1965), English chess player *

Nigel Slater Nigel Slater (born 9 April 1956) is an English food writer, journalist and broadcaster. He has written a column for ''The Observer Magazine'' for over a decade and is the principal writer for the ''Observer Food Monthly'' supplement. Prior to ...

(born 1958), English food writer and broadcaster *

Nigel Smart Nigel James Smart (born 21 May 1969) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). Smart played most of his career in defence and became a crowd favourite, easily ide ...

(born 1969), Australian footballer *

Nigel Stock (actor) Nigel Stock (21 September 1919 - 23 June 1986) was a British actor who played character roles in many films and television dramas. He was perhaps best known for his stint as Dr Watson in TV adaptations of the Sherlock Holmes stories, for his su ...

(1919–1986), English actor who played Dr Watson * Nigel John Taylor (born 1960), bass player of

Duran Duran Duran Duran () are an English Rock music, rock band formed in Birmingham in 1978 by singer and bassist Stephen Duffy, keyboardist Nick Rhodes and guitarist/bassist John Taylor (bass guitarist), John Taylor. With the addition of drummer Roger ...

Nigel Vardy Nigel Vardy is an English mountaineer whose experiences of recovering from severe frostbite injuries led him to become a motivational speaker and author. Vardy was rescued after being overtaken by darkness at high altitude on a climb of Denali ...

, British mountaineer *

Nigel Warburton Nigel Warburton (; born 1962) is a British philosopher. He is best known as a populariser of philosophy, having written a number of books in the genre, but he has also written academic works in aesthetics and applied ethics. Education Warburton r ...

, British philosopher * Nigel Watson (1947–2019), British blues-rock guitarist *

Nigel Williams-Goss Nigel Williams-Goss (born September 16, 1994) is an American professional basketball player for Real Madrid of the Spanish Liga ACB and the EuroLeague. He was selected by the Utah Jazz, with the 55th overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft. He playe ...

(born 1994), American basketball player *

Nigel Winterburn Nigel Winterburn (born 11 December 1963) is an English former professional footballer, coach and current television personality for BT Sport. He played primarily as a left back from 1981 to 2003. He is best known for his role alongside the li ...

(born 1963), English footballer *

Nigel Worthington Nigel Worthington (born 4 November 1961) is a Northern Irish former professional footballer who was most recently the manager of York City. He played a defender and a midfielder, playing his club football for Ballymena United, Notts County, ...

(born 1961), Northern Irish footballer and manager

Fictional characters

* Nigel, a character in 1989 American independent coming of age comedy movie ''

She's Out of Control ''She's Out of Control'' is a 1989 American independent coming of age comedy film directed by Stan Dragoti. Starring Tony Danza, Ami Dolenz and Catherine Hicks. The original music score was composed by Alan Silvestri. The film was marketed wit ...

'' * Nigel Bathgate, a journalist, in the detective novel, ''

A Man Lay Dead ''A Man Lay Dead'' is a detective novel by Ngaio Marsh; it is the first novel to feature Roderick Alleyn, and was first published in 1934. The plot concerns a murder committed during a detective game of murder at a weekend party in a country ho ...

'' (1934) by

Dame Ngaio Marsh Dame Edith Ngaio Marsh (; 23 April 1895 – 18 February 1982) was a New Zealand mystery writer and theatre director. She was appointed a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1966. As a crime writer during the "Golden Age of De ...

* Nigel Bottom, a poet and playwright in ''

Something Rotten! ''Something Rotten!'' is a musical comedy with a book by John O'Farrell and Karey Kirkpatrick and music and lyrics by Karey and Wayne Kirkpatrick. Set in 1595, the story follows the Bottom brothers, Nick and Nigel, who struggle to find success ...

'' * Nigel Cronin, a character from 1991 black comedy movie ''

Drop Dead Fred ''Drop Dead Fred'' is a 1991 black comedy fantasy film directed by Ate de Jong, produced by PolyGram and Working Title Films and released and distributed by New Line Cinema, starring Phoebe Cates as a young woman named Elizabeth Cronin and Rik May ...

'' * Nigel Olifaunt, Lord Glenvarloch, main character of Sir Walter Scott's novel ''

'' * ''

'' (Loring), a novel by Arthur Conan Doyle based on the life of

Neil Loring Sir Neil Loring ("Loryng", "Loringe" etc., Neel ''alias'' Nigel, Latin: ''Nigellus'') (c. 1320 – 18 March 1386), KG, was a medieval English soldier and diplomat and a founding member of the Order of the Garter, established by King Edward I ...

* Nigel Pargetter, a character on the BBC radio soap opera ''

The Archers ''The Archers'' is a BBC radio drama on BBC Radio 4, the corporation's main spoken-word channel. Broadcast since 1951, it was famously billed as "an everyday story of country folk" and is now promoted as "a contemporary drama in a rural settin ...

'' * Nigel Baker, a character in ''

Cheaper by the Dozen ''Cheaper by the Dozen'' is a semi-autobiographical novel written by Frank Bunker Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey, published in 1948. The novel recounts the authors' childhood lives growing up in a household of 12 children. The bestsell ...

'' and its sequel * Nigel Forrester, a character from ''

Bratz Rock Angelz Bratz is an American fashion doll and media franchise created by former Mattel employee Carter Bryant for MGA Entertainment which debuted in 2001. The four original 10-inch (25 cm) dolls were released on May 21, 2001 — Yasmin, Cloe, Jade ...

'' with whom Cloe falls in love * "

Making Plans for Nigel "Making Plans for Nigel" is a song by the English rock band XTC that was released as the opening track and lead single from their 1979 album ''Drums and Wires'', by Virgin Records. It was written by Colin Moulding, the band's bassist. The lyrics a ...

", 1979 New Wave hit for English group

XTC XTC were an English rock band formed in Swindon in 1972. Fronted by songwriters Andy Partridge (guitars, vocals) and Colin Moulding (bass, vocals), the band gained popularity during the rise of punk and new wave in the 1970s, later playing in ...

* Nigel Powers (played by actor

Michael Caine Sir Michael Caine (born Maurice Joseph Micklewhite; 14 March 1933) is an English actor. Known for his distinctive Cockney accent, he has appeared in more than 160 films in a career spanning seven decades, and is considered a British film ico ...

) is a character who appears in the third Austin Powers movie, ''

Austin Powers in Goldmember ''Austin Powers in Goldmember'' is a 2002 American spy comedy film directed by Jay Roach. It is the third in the ''Austin Powers'' film series and stars Mike Myers in four roles: Austin Powers, Dr. Evil, Goldmember, and Fat Bastard. Myers and M ...

'', as the father of

Austin Powers ''Austin Powers'' is a series of American spy action comedy films: '' Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery'' (1997), '' Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me'' (1999) and ''Austin Powers in Goldmember'' (2002). The films were produced an ...

and

Dr. Evil Douglas Powers, commonly known as Dr. Evil, is a fictional character portrayed by Mike Myers in the ''Austin Powers'' film series. He is the main antagonist and Austin Powers' nemesis (and secret twin brother). He is a parody of James Bond vill ...

* Principal Nigel Brown, a character on ''

The Amazing World of Gumball ''The Amazing World of Gumball'' is an animated sitcom created by Ben Bocquelet for Cartoon Network. The series concerns the lives of 12-year-old Gumball Watterson, an anthropomorphic blue cat, and adoptive goldfish brother Darwin, who attend ...

'' *

Nigel Molesworth Nigel Molesworth is a fictional character, the supposed author of a series of books about life in an English prep school named St Custard's. The books were written by Geoffrey Willans, with cartoon illustrations by Ronald Searle. The Moleswo ...

, schoolboy in 1950s humour books by

Geoffrey Willans Herbert Geoffrey Willans, RNVR, (4 February 1911 – 6 August 1958), an English writer and journalist, is best known as the creator of Nigel Molesworth, the "goriller of 3B" and "curse of St. Custard's", as in the four books with illustrations ...

and

Ronald Searle Ronald William Fordham Searle, CBE, RDI (3 March 1920 – 30 December 2011) was an English artist and satirical cartoonist, comics artist, sculptor, medal designer and illustrator. He is perhaps best remembered as the creator of St Trinian's S ...

* Nigel Moon, one of the many brothers of the character Daphne Moon in the TV series ''

Frasier ''Frasier'' () is an American television sitcom that was broadcast on NBC for 11 seasons. It premiered on September 16, 1993, and ended on May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey (screenwriter), Peter Case ...

'' * Nigel, a

brown pelican The brown pelican (''Pelecanus occidentalis'') is a bird of the pelican family, Pelecanidae, one of three species found in the Americas and one of two that feed by diving into water. It is found on the Atlantic Coast from New Jersey to the mout ...

and character in the 2003

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...

Pixar Pixar Animation Studios (commonly known as Pixar () and stylized as P I X A R) is an American computer animation studio known for its critically and commercially successful computer animated feature films. It is based in Emeryville, Californi ...

animated Animation is a method by which still figures are manipulated to appear as moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Today, most anim ...

film ''

Finding Nemo ''Finding Nemo'' is a 2003 American computer-animated comedy-drama adventure film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. Directed by Andrew Stanton with co-direction by Lee Unkrich, the screenplay was writ ...

'' * Nigel, a

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

koala The koala or, inaccurately, koala bear (''Phascolarctos cinereus''), is an arboreal herbivorous marsupial native to Australia. It is the only extant representative of the family Phascolarctidae and its closest living relatives are the womb ...

in 2006

animated film ''

The Wild ''The Wild'' is a 2006 American computer-animated adventure comedy film directed by animator Steve "Spaz" Williams and written by Ed Decter, John J. Strauss, Mark Gibson and Philip Halprin. It features the voices of Eddie Izzard, Kiefer Sutherla ...

'' * Nigel, the gangster ex-husband in Fredrik Bond's ''

Charlie Countryman ''Charlie Countryman'' (originally titled ''The Necessary Death of Charlie Countryman'' as well as ''Kill Charlie Countryman'') is a 2013 romantic drama film directed by Fredrik Bond in his directorial debut, written by Matt Drake, and starring Shi ...

'' * Nigel "Nidge" Delaney, fictional character played by Tom Vaughan-Lawlor in RTE crime drama TV series '' Love/Hate'' * Sir Nigel Irvine, SIS chief in Frederick Forsyth's spy fiction '' The Fourth Protocol'' * Nigel, a sadistic

sulphur-crested cockatoo The sulphur-crested cockatoo (''Cacatua galerita'') is a relatively large white cockatoo found in wooded habitats in Australia, New Guinea, and some of the islands of Indonesia. They can be locally very numerous, leading to them sometimes being ...

who is the main antagonist in the ''

Rio Rio or Río is the Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, and Maltese word for "river". When spoken on its own, the word often means Rio de Janeiro, a major city in Brazil. Rio or Río may also refer to: Geography Brazil * Rio de Janeiro * Rio do Sul, a ...

'' franchise * Nigel Burke, the main character in ''

Surgeon Simulator 2013 ''Surgeon Simulator'' (formerly ''Surgeon Simulator 2013'') is a surgical simulation video game by Tom Jackson, Jack Good, Luke Williams and James Broadley of Bossa Studios. The initial version was created in a 48-hour period for the 2013 Global ...

'' * Nigel, nickname given by the community to the British pilot model in

War Thunder ''War Thunder'' is a free-to-play vehicular combat multiplayer video game developed and published by Gaijin Entertainment. Announced in 2011, it was first released in November 2012 as an open beta with a worldwide release in January 2013; it had ...

'' * Nigel Bumble, a fictional character who join The Rooks in ''

Assassin's Creed Syndicate ''Assassin's Creed Syndicate'' is an action-adventure video game developed by Ubisoft Quebec and published by Ubisoft. It was released on October 23, 2015, for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, and on November 19, 2015, for Microsoft Windows. It is th ...

* Nigel, an agoraphobic sheep dog in the New Zealand film ''

The Price of Milk ''The Price of Milk'' is a 2000 New Zealand romantic fantasy film. It was directed by New Zealand actor and director Harry Sinclair. Plot In rural New Zealand, a farmer, Rob (Karl Urban), gets engaged to his love, Lucinda (Danielle Cormack ...

'' (2000) * Nigel, played by Hugh Grant, in the movie ''

Bitter Moon ''Bitter Moon'' is a 1992 erotic romantic thriller film directed by Roman Polanski and starring Peter Coyote, Emmanuelle Seigner, Hugh Grant and Kristin Scott Thomas. The film's French title is ' (a pun on the French phrase "lune de miel", mean ...

'' (1992) * Sir

Nigel Thornberry ''The Wild Thornberrys'' is an American animated television series created by Arlene Klasky, Gábor Csupó, Steve Pepoon, David Silverman, and Stephen Sustarsic for Nickelodeon. The series portrays an American family of wildlife documentary fi ...

, fictional wildlife documentary producer from ''The Wild Thornberrys'' *

Nigel Tufnel Nigel Tufnel is a fictional character in the 1984 mockumentary film ''This Is Spinal Tap''. In the film, he is the lead guitarist of the rock band Spinal Tap. He was played by actor Christopher Guest. Character biography Nigel Tufnel was born in ...

, lead guitarist for the fictional band Spinal Tap * Nigel Ratburn, an anthropomorphic rat and elementary school teacher, in the ''

Arthur Arthur is a common male given name of Brittonic languages, Brythonic origin. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur. The etymology is disputed. It may derive from the Celtic ''Artos'' meaning “Bear”. An ...

'' TV series * Nigel Planter, a character from ''

The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy ''The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy'' is an American animated television series created by Maxwell Atoms for Cartoon Network and distributed by Warner Bros. Domestic Television. It follows Billy, an extremely dimwitted, happy-go-lucky boy, an ...

'' * Nigel Uno, a fictional character from '' Codename: Kids Next Door'' * Nigel Wolpert, a Gryffindor wizard from

Harry Potter ''Harry Potter'' is a series of seven fantasy literature, fantasy novels written by British author J. K. Rowling. The novels chronicle the lives of a young Magician (fantasy), wizard, Harry Potter (character), Harry Potter, and his friends ...

Dog

Nigel Nigel ( ) is an English language, English masculine given name. The English ''Nigel'' is commonly found in records dating from the Middle Ages; however, it was not used much before being revived by 19th-century antiquarians. For instance, Walte ...

, a

Golden Retriever The Golden Retriever is a Scottish breed of retriever dog of medium size. It is characterised by a gentle and affectionate nature and a striking golden coat. It is commonly kept as a pet and is among the most frequently registered breeds ...

dog that belonged to

Monty Don Montagu Denis Wyatt Don (born George Montagu Don; 8 July 1955) is a British horticulturist, broadcaster, and writer who is best known as the lead presenter of the BBC gardening television series ''Gardeners' World''. Born in Germany and raised ...

, a British television gardening presenter.

References

{{Reflist Given names English given names English masculine given names Slang Pejorative terms for European people