Nigel ( ) is an
English 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; however, it was not used much before being revived by 19th-century antiquarians. For instance,
Walter Scott published ''
The Fortunes of Nigel'' 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 and
Wales, 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 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 of about 1.2% in 1963, 60 times higher.
Etymology
The name is derived from the church
Latin '. 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
clerics, who knew Latin as well, to translate the
Norman first name ''Neel'' in the Latin written documents. The Latin word ' gave birth to
Old French ' (modern '), meaning “
niello, 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''.
England and Wales
The following table shows the number of boys given the first name Nigel in specific years in
England and Wales. 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 in
Cotentin
*
Nigel D'Oyly (Néel d'Ouilly), Anglo-Norman lord
*
Nigel d'Aubigny (Néel d'Aubigny), Norman nobleman
*
Nigel (bishop of Ely) (Néel d'Ely), Anglo-Norman bishop
*
Nigel de Longchamps, 12th-century English poet
Notable people named Nigel
*
Nigel Ah Wong (born 1990), New Zealand rugby player
*
Nigel Ayers (born 1957), English multimedia artist
*
Nigel Barker (photographer) (born 1972), English fashion photographer
*
Nigel Benn (born 1964), British boxer
*
Nigel Bennett (born 1949), Anglo-Canadian actor, director, and writer
*
Nigel Benson
Nigel C. Benson (born January 15, 1955) is a British author and illustrator.
Benson was born in Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, son of Ralph H. Benson, a fine artist specializing in oils and pastels, and Heather M. Benson. He grew up in Duns ...
(born 1955), British writer and illustrator
*
Nigel Blackwell, 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 (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 (1895–1953), British actor
*
Nigel Clough (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, British author
*
Nigel Dakin (born 1964), Soldier, Diplomat and Governor of the Turks and Caicos Islands
*
Nigel Davenport (1928–2013), English actor
*
Nigel Dick (born 1953), English director, writer, and musician
*
Nigel Dodds (born 1958), British/Northern Irish politician, MP (DUP)
*
Nigel Edwards (disambiguation) Nigel Edwards may refer to:
* Nigel Edwards (footballer) (born 1950), Welsh footballer
* Nigel Edwards (golfer) (born 1968), Welsh golfer
* Nigel Edwards (health) Nigel Edwards is a health policy researcher, appointed Chief Executive at the Nuffie ...
*
Nigel Evans (born 1957), British politician
*
Nigel Farage (born 1964), British politician, MEP (Brexit Party)
*
Nigel Fountain (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 K ...
(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 (born 1971), English recording engineer and record producer
*
Nigel Green (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) Nigel Harris may refer to:
*Nigel Harris (actor) (born 1949), British actor
*Nigel Harris (American football) (born 1994), American football player
*Nigel Harris (economist) (born 1935), British economist
*Nigel MacArthur, British broadcaster under ...
, multiple people
*
Nigel Harte, Westmeath Gaelic footballer
*
Nigel Havers (born 1951), English actor
*
Nigel Hawthorne (1929–2001), English actor
*
Nigel Hayes (born 1994), American basketball player
*
Nigel Haywood (born 1955), Governor of the Falkland Islands
*
Nigel Hess (born 1953), British composer
*
Nigel Horspool, British-born inventor of the Boyer–Moore–Horspool algorithm
*
Nigel Holmes (born 1942), British graphic designer
*
Nigel Irens, British yacht designer
*
Nigel de Jong (born 1984), Dutch footballer
*
Nigel Keay (born 1955), New Zealand violist and composer
*
Nigel Kennedy (born 1956), British violinist and violist
*
Nigel Kneale (1922–2006), British scriptwriter
*
Nigel Latta (born 1967), New Zealand psychologist
*
Nigel Lawson (born 1932), British politician, Chancellor of the Exchequer
*
Nigel Lythgoe (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 ...
(born 1966), British football goalkeeper
*
Nigel Marven (born 1960), British wildlife television presenter/producer, author, and hobby ornithologist
*
Nigel McGuinness (born 1976), British wrestler
*
Nigel Melville (born 1961), English rugby player, coach, and administrator
*
Nigel Miguel (born 1963), Belizean-American actor, film producer, film commissioner, basketball player
*
Nigel Mitchell, British television presenter and radio presenter
*
Nigel Morris
Nigel William Morris (born June 1958) is a British businessman. He is the managing partner of QED Investors and co-founded Capital One Financial Services with Richard Fairbank.
Early life
Nigel William Morris was born in Billericay, Essex, t ...
(born 1958), British businessman and co-founder of Capital One
*
Nigel Murch (1944–2020), Australian cricketer
*
Nigel Ng (born 1991), Malaysian stand-up comedian
*
Nigel Northridge (born 1956), British businessman
*
Nigel Oakes (born 1962), British businessman
*
Nigel Olsson (born 1949), drummer for Elton John, solo recording artist
*
Nigel Owens (born 1971), Welsh rugby referee
*
Nigel Pivaro (born 1959), English actor, he played as Terry Duckworth in ''Coronation Street''
*
Nigel Planer (born 1953), English actor
*
Nigel Plum, Australian rugby player
*
Nigel Poor, American podcaster
*
Nigel Reo-Coker (born 1984), English footballer
*
Nigel Richards (born 1967), five times World Scrabble Champion
*
Nigel Rodgers (born 1952), British author
*
Nigel Roberts, British computer scientist
*
Nigel Short (born 1965), English chess player
*
Nigel Slater (born 1958), English food writer and broadcaster
*
Nigel Smart (born 1969), Australian footballer
*
Nigel Stock (actor) (1919–1986), English actor who played Dr Watson
*
Nigel John Taylor
Nigel John Taylor (born 20 June 1960) is a British musician who is best known as the bass guitarist for new romantic band Duran Duran, of which he was a founding member. Duran Duran was one of the most popular bands in the world during the 198 ...
(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, British mountaineer
*
Nigel Warburton, British philosopher
*
Nigel Watson
Nigel Jerome Edwin Watson (24 September 1947 – 16 February 2019) was an English guitarist best known for his work with ex- Fleetwood Mac guitarist Peter Green.
Career
After Green left Fleetwood Mac in 1970, he worked with Watson on two solo ...
(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 (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 Count ...
(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''
* Nigel Bathgate, a journalist, in the detective novel, ''
A Man Lay Dead'' (1934) by
Dame Ngaio Marsh
* Nigel Bottom, a poet and playwright in ''
Something Rotten!''
* Nigel Cronin, a character from 1991 black comedy movie ''
Drop Dead Fred''
* Nigel Olifaunt, Lord Glenvarloch, main character of Sir Walter Scott's novel ''
The Fortunes of Nigel''
* ''
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 ...
'' (Loring), a novel by Arthur Conan Doyle based on the life of
Neil Loring
*
Nigel Pargetter, a character on the BBC radio soap opera ''
The Archers''
* Nigel Baker, a character in ''
Cheaper by the Dozen'' and
its sequel
* Nigel Forrester, a character from ''
Bratz Rock Angelz'' with whom Cloe falls in love
* "
Making Plans for Nigel", 1979 New Wave hit for English group
XTC
* Nigel Powers (played by actor
Michael Caine) is a character who appears in the third Austin Powers movie, ''
Austin Powers in Goldmember'', as the father of
Austin Powers and
Dr. Evil
* Principal Nigel Brown, a character on ''
The Amazing World of Gumball''
*
Nigel Molesworth, 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 illustration ...
and
Ronald Searle
*
Nigel Moon, one of the many brothers of the character Daphne Moon in the TV series ''
Frasier''
* Nigel, a brown pelican and character in the 2003 Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, Disney/Pixar animated film ''Finding Nemo''
* Nigel, a United Kingdom, British koala in 2006 Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, Disney animated film ''The Wild''
* Nigel, the gangster ex-husband in Fredrik Bond's ''Charlie Countryman''
* Nigel "Nidge" Delaney, fictional character played by Tom Vaughan-Lawlor in RTE crime drama TV series ''Love/Hate (TV series), Love/Hate''
* Sir Nigel Irvine, SIS chief in Frederick Forsyth's spy fiction ''The Fourth Protocol''
* Nigel, a sadistic sulphur-crested cockatoo who is the main antagonist in the ''Rio (2011 film), Rio'' franchise
* Nigel Burke, the main character in ''Surgeon Simulator 2013''
* Nigel, nickname given by the community to the British pilot model in War Thunder''
* Nigel Bumble, a fictional character who join The Rooks in ''Assassin's Creed Syndicate
* Nigel, an agoraphobic sheep dog in the New Zealand film ''The Price of Milk'' (2000)
* Nigel, played by Hugh Grant, in the movie ''Bitter Moon'' (1992)
* Sir Nigel Thornberry, fictional wildlife documentary producer from ''The Wild Thornberrys''
* Nigel Tufnel, lead guitarist for the fictional band Spinal Tap
* Nigel Ratburn, an anthropomorphic rat and elementary school teacher, in the ''Arthur (TV series), Arthur'' TV series
* Nigel Planter, a character from ''The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy''
* Nigel Uno, a fictional character from ''Codename: Kids Next Door''
* Nigel Wolpert, a Gryffindor wizard from Harry Potter
Dog
* Nigel (dog), Nigel, a Golden Retriever dog that belonged to Monty Don, a British television gardening presenter.
References
{{Reflist
Given names
English given names
English masculine given names
Slang
Pejorative terms for European people