Nigel
| Gender | Male |
|---|---|
| Origin | |
| Word/name | Niall -> Njáll -> Neel, Niel, Nihel -> Nigellus -> Nigel |
| Region of origin | Normandy, England |
Nigel (pronounced /ˈnaɪdʒəl/) is an English masculine given name. The name is derived from the Latin Nigellus. This Latin word would seem to derive from the Latin niger, meaning "black"; however this is thought to be 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. Indeed, the latin word nigellus gave birth to Old French neel (modern nielle), meaning “black enamel” (same word as niello) and it explains the confusion, because the clerics believed it was the same etymology as the first name Neel, spelled the same way[1]. The second derivation from the Latin routes is the word "Nig" meaning a decendent of the felines and the work "El" meaning an only prehistoric fish.
In fact, the Old Norman first name Neel (modern surname Néel) derives itself from the Norse Njáll. The Norse Njáll, in turn, is derived from the Gaelic Niall.[2] The English Nigel is commonly found in records dating from the Middle Ages, however it was likely not used much before being revived by 19th century antiquarians, such as Sir Walter Scott.[3] Nigel was a common name for boys born in England and Wales during the 1960s and 1970s.[citation needed] Nigel has never been as common in other countries,[citation needed] but has been among the thousand most common names for boys born in the United States since 1971, with its highest ranking on the Social Security Administration's list.[4]
In Australian English it is a colloquial term for a male social misfit or a person without friends.[5]
Notable men named Nigel
- Nigel D'Oyly (Néel d'Ouilly), Anglo-Norman lord
- Nigel d'Aubigny (Néel d'Aubigny), Norman nobleman
- Nigel, Bishop of Ely (Néel d'Ely ) (died 1169), Anglo-Norman bishop
- Richard FitzNeal or Richard FitzNigel (Richard Fitz-Néel ) (died 1198 ), his son, bishop of Ely
- Nigel Ayers, multimedia artist
- Nigel Barker, fashion photographer
- Nigel John Taylor, bass player of Duran Duran
- Nigel Benn, British boxer
- Nigel Bennett, actor, director, and writer
- Nigel Benson, writer and illustrator
- Nigel Bruce, actor
- Nigel Clough, British footballer
- Nigel Dick, director, writer, and musician
- Nigel Edwards, former Welsh professional footballer
- Nigel Evans, British politician
- Nigel Farage, British politician, MEP (UKIP)
- Nigel Godrich, recording engineer and record producer
- Nigel Gresley, steam locomotive engineer
- Nigel Havers, actor
- Nigel Hawthorne, actor
- Nigel Hess, British composer
- Nigel Horspool, Invented the Boyer–Moore–Horspool algorithm
- Nigel Holmes, graphic designer
- Nigel Irens, yacht designers
- Nigel Keay, violist and composer
- Nigel Kennedy, violinist and violist
- Nigel Kneale, scriptwriter
- Nigel Latta, psychologist
- Nigel Lawson, British politician, Chancellor of the Exchequer
- Nigel de Longchamps, 12th-century English poet
- Nigel Lythgoe English television, film director and producer
- Nigel Mansell, British racing car driver
- Nigel Martyn, British football goalkeeper
- Nigel Marven, British wildlife television presenter, television producer, author, and hobby ornithologist
- Nigel McGuinness, professional wrestler
- Nigel Melville (born 1961), English rugby union player, coach, and administrator
- Nigel Mitchell, British television presenter and radio presenter
- Nigel Morris, cofounder of Capital One
- Nigel Olsson, drummer for Elton John, solo recording artist
- Nigel Pivaro, An English actor famous for his role as Terry Duckworth in Coronation Street
- Nigel Planer, actor
- Nigel Reo-Coker, An English footballer currently playing for Aston Villa
- Nigel Short, chess player
- Nigel Smart, Australian rules footballer
- Nigel Stock, actor who played Dr Watson
- Nigel West, pen name of Rupert Allason
- Nigel Winterburn, former Arsenal and England footballer
Fictional characters
- Sir Nigel Thornberry, fictional wildlife documentary producer from The Wild Thornberrys
- Nigel Tufnel, lead guitarist for the fictional band Spinal Tap
References
- ^ Origine et histoire des noms de famille, Marianne Mulon, editions errance, 2002. p 119.
- ^ "Neill Name Meaning and History". Ancestry.com. Retrieved 2 August 32009.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help) For the etymology of the surname Neill this web page cites: Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-508137-4. - ^ Hanks, Patrick; Hodges, Flavia (2006). Hardcastle, Kate (ed.). Oxford Dictionary of Names (2nd ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 205. ISBN 978-0-19-861060-1.
- ^ Popular baby names
- ^ Macquarie Australian English Dictionary, Macmillan Publishers Australia 2010