Nigel
Encyclopedia
Nigel (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.
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
. 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, such as Sir Walter Scott who published The Fortunes of Nigel
in 1822. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
published Sir Nigel
in 1905/06. Nigel was a common name for boys born in England
and Wales
during the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s (see below).
Nigel has never been as common in other countries, but has been among the thousand most common names for boys born in the United States
since 1971 when 94 births were recorded with the name. Numbers peaked in 1994 when 447 were recorded (it being the 478th most common boys name that year). There were 244 in 2009. 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.
In Australian English
it is a colloquial term for a male social misfit or a person without friends, originating from the name being unusual in the 1980s and alliterating with 'no-friends'.
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
masculine given name
Given name
A given name, in Western contexts often referred to as a first name, is a personal name that specifies and differentiates between members of a group of individuals, especially in a family, all of whose members usually share the same family name...
. The name is derived from the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
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
Old French
Old French was the Romance dialect continuum spoken in territories that span roughly the northern half of modern France and parts of modern Belgium and Switzerland from the 9th century to the 14th century...
neel (modern nielle), meaning “black enamel” (same word as niello
Niello
Niello is a black mixture of copper, silver, and lead sulphides, used as an inlay on engraved or etched metal. It can be used for filling in designs cut from metal...
) and it explains the confusion, because the clerics believed it was the same etymology as the first name Neel, spelled the same way.
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
Niall
Niall is a male given name of Gaelic origin, thought to mean "champion". It could also mean 'cloud' or 'passionate'.Niall may also refer to:*Niall of the Nine Hostages, High King of Ireland who lived in the early-to-mid 5th century AD...
. The English Nigel is commonly found in records dating from the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, however it was not used much before being revived by 19th century antiquarians, such as Sir Walter Scott who published The Fortunes of Nigel
The Fortunes of Nigel
The Fortunes of Nigel is a novel written by Sir Walter Scott. The setting is some time between 1616 and 1625.- Plot introduction :...
in 1822. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Arthur Conan Doyle
Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle DL was a Scottish physician and writer, most noted for his stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes, generally considered a milestone in the field of crime fiction, and for the adventures of Professor Challenger...
published Sir Nigel
Sir Nigel
Sir Nigel is a historical novel set during the Hundred Years' War, by the British author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Written in 1906, it is a fore-runner to Doyle's earlier novel The White Company, and describes the early life of that book's hero Sir Nigel Loring in the service of King Edward III at...
in 1905/06. Nigel was a common name for boys born in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
during the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s (see below).
Nigel has never been as common in other countries, but has been among the thousand most common names for boys born in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
since 1971 when 94 births were recorded with the name. Numbers peaked in 1994 when 447 were recorded (it being the 478th most common boys name that year). There were 244 in 2009. 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.
In Australian English
Australian English
Australian English is the name given to the group of dialects spoken in Australia that form a major variety of the English language....
it is a colloquial term for a male social misfit or a person without friends, originating from the name being unusual in the 1980s and alliterating with 'no-friends'.
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 24th most popular boys name.| Year | Number |
|---|---|
| 1840 | 1 |
| 1850 | 2 |
| 1860 | 1 |
| 1870 | 7 |
| 1880 | 8 |
| 1890 | 10 |
| 1900 | 18 |
| 1910 | 24 |
| 1920 | 71 |
| 1930 | 164 |
| 1940 | 445 |
| 1950 | 1943 |
| 1960 | 4383 |
| 1963 | 5529 |
| 1970 | 2469 |
| 1980 | 413 |
| 1990 | 125 |
| 2000 | 25 |
| 2010 | 18 |
Notable men named Nigel
- Nigel D'OylyNigel D'OylyNigel D'Oyly was an 11th-12th century nobleman of England and, in 1120, the Lord of Oxford Castle, and briefly the Lord of Wallingford Castle.-Biography:...
(Néel d'Ouilly), Anglo-Norman lord - Nigel d'AubignyNigel d'AubignyNigel d'Aubigny was a Norman nobleman, and supporter of Henry I of England. He is described as "one of the most favoured of Henry’s 'new men'", and after the Battle of Tinchebrai in 1106 was largely rewarded by Henry with the lands of Robert de Stuteville, who had followed Robert...
(Néel d'Aubigny), Norman nobleman - Nigel, Bishop of ElyNigel, Bishop of ElyNigel was an Anglo-Norman Bishop of Ely. He came from an ecclesiastical family; his uncle Roger of Salisbury was a bishop and government minister for King Henry I, and other relatives also held offices in the English Church and government...
(Néel d'Ely ) (died 1169), Anglo-Norman bishop - Richard FitzNealRichard FitzNealRichard FitzNeal Richard FitzNeal Richard FitzNeal (or FitzNigel; circa (c. 1130 – 10 September 1198), sometimes called Richard of Ely, was a churchman and bureaucrat in the service of Henry II of England.-Life:...
or Richard FitzNigel (Richard Fitz-Néel ) (died 1198 ), his son, bishop of Ely - Nigel AyersNigel AyersNigel Ayers is a multimedia artist born in Tideswell, Derbyshire, England, in 1957.His sound art has included numerous audio releases and live performances through his genre-busting group Nocturnal Emissions....
, multimedia artist - Nigel Barker, fashion photographer
- Nigel FarageNigel FarageNigel Paul Farage MEP , a position he previously held from September 2006 to November 2009. He is a current Member of the European Parliament for South East England and co-chairs the Eurosceptic Europe of Freedom and Democracy group....
, British politician, MEP (UKIP) - Nigel GodrichNigel GodrichNigel Godrich, , is a recording engineer, record producer and musician. He is best known for his work with the English rock band Radiohead and is sometimes referred to as the "sixth member" of the band...
, recording engineer and record producer - Nigel GresleyNigel GresleySir Herbert Nigel Gresley was one of Britain's most famous steam locomotive engineers, who rose to become Chief Mechanical Engineer of the London and North Eastern Railway . He was the designer of some of the most famous steam locomotives in Britain, including the LNER Class A1 and LNER Class A4...
, steam locomotive engineer - Nigel HaversNigel HaversNigel Allan Havers is an English actor. He is probably best known for his BAFTA-nominated role as Lord Andrew Lindsay in the 1981 British film Chariots of Fire, and for his role as Dr. Tom Latimer in the British TV comedy series Don't Wait Up...
, actor - Nigel HawthorneNigel HawthorneSir Nigel Barnard Hawthorne, CBE was an English actor, perhaps best remembered for his role as Sir Humphrey Appleby, the Permanent Secretary in the 1980s sitcom Yes Minister and the Cabinet Secretary in its sequel, Yes, Prime Minister. For this role he won four BAFTA Awards during the 1980s in the...
, actor - Nigel HaywoodNigel HaywoodNigel Robert Haywood CVO is a British diplomat, the former British ambassador to Estonia and the current Governor of the Falkland Islands....
, Governor of the Falkland Islands - Nigel HessNigel HessNigel John Hess is a British composer best known for his television, theatre and film soundtracks, including the theme tunes to Wycliffe, Dangerfield, Hetty Wainthropp Investigates and Ladies in Lavender.-Biography:...
, British composer - Nigel HorspoolNigel HorspoolR. Nigel Horspool is a professor of computer science at the University of Victoria. He invented the Boyer–Moore–Horspool algorithm, a fast string search algorithm adapted from the Boyer–Moore string search algorithm...
, Invented the Boyer–Moore–Horspool algorithm - Nigel HolmesNigel HolmesNigel Holmes is a British graphic designer and theorist, who focuses on information graphics and information design.- Biography :Holmes received a MA in illustration from the Royal College of Art in 1966....
, graphic designer - Nigel IrensNigel IrensNigel Irens is a leading yacht designer. He is perhaps best known as designer of the Adventurer, a 35m trimaran motor yacht which completed a record-breaking circumnavigation in 1998, and of the record-breaking trimaran used by Ellen MacArthur to break the world record for solo circumnavigation in...
, yacht designers - Nigel KeayNigel KeayNigel Keay was born in Palmerston North, New Zealand in 1955. He has been a freelance musician since 1983 working as a composer, violist, and violin teacher...
, violist and composer - Nigel KennedyNigel KennedyNigel Kennedy is a British born violinist and violist. He made his early career in the classical field, and he has performed and recorded most of the major violin concerti...
, violinist and violist - Nigel KnealeNigel KnealeNigel Kneale was a British screenwriter from the Isle of Man. Active in television, film, radio drama and prose fiction, he wrote professionally for over fifty years, was a winner of the Somerset Maugham Award and was twice nominated for the British Film Award for Best Screenplay...
, scriptwriter - Nigel LattaNigel LattaNigel Latta is a New Zealand psychologist. He is also the host of the television show Beyond The Darklands, The Politically Incorrect Guide to Teenagers and The Politically Incorrect Parenting Show....
, psychologist - Nigel LawsonNigel LawsonNigel Lawson, Baron Lawson of Blaby, PC , is a British Conservative politician and journalist. He was a Member of Parliament representing the constituency of Blaby from 1974–92, and served as the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the government of Margaret Thatcher from June 1983 to October 1989...
, British politician, Chancellor of the Exchequer - Nigel de LongchampsNigel de LongchampsNigel de Longchamps, also known as Nigel Wireker, , was an English satirist and poet of the late twelfth century, writing in Latin...
, 12th-century English poet - Nigel LythgoeNigel LythgoeNigel Lythgoe is an English television and film director and producer, and former dancer in the Young Generation and choreographer. He is noted for being the producer of the shows Pop Idol and American Idol as well as being a creator, executive producer and a regular judge for So You Think You Can...
English television, film director and producer - Nigel MansellNigel MansellNigel Ernest James Mansell OBE is a British racing driver who won both the Formula One World Championship and the CART Indy Car World Series...
, British racing car driver - Nigel MartynNigel MartynAntony Nigel Martyn , more commonly known as Nigel Martyn, is a retired English football goalkeeper. He played for Crystal Palace where he became the first £1million goalkeeper in British football and also won the Full Members Cup. Martyn then left to spend six seasons at Leeds United. He went on...
, British football goalkeeper - Nigel MarvenNigel MarvenNigel Marven is a British wildlife presenter, television producer, author, and ornithologist.-Career:Marven studied botany at Bristol University until the age of 22 when he left to begin his career at the BBC Natural History Unit in Bristol...
, British wildlife television presenter, television producer, author, and hobby ornithologist - Nigel McGuinnessNigel McGuinnessSteven Haworth is an English professional wrestler, better known by the ring names Desmond Wolfe and Nigel McGuinness. As McGuinness he first gained notoriety working for Ring of Honor in the United States and Pro Wrestling Noah in Japan...
, professional wrestler - Nigel MelvilleNigel MelvilleNigel David Melville is a former England national rugby union team scrum half and captain.He became the youngest player to captain England on his début when he led them against Australia in November 1984. He went onto make another twelve appearances over the next four years.He attended Aireborough...
(born 1961), English rugby union player, coach, and administrator - Nigel MitchellNigel MitchellNigel Mitchell is a British television presenter. Nigel is also known for his radio presenting and voiceover work. Nigel is represented by Wise Buddah Talent Management.-Nickelodeon:...
, British television presenter and radio presenter - Nigel MorrisNigel MorrisNigel Morris is a businessman who co-founded Capital One with Richard Fairbank, and retired as COO in 2004.He lent the Labour Party £1,000,000 as part of the Cash for peerages affair....
, cofounder of Capital One - Nigel OlssonNigel OlssonNigel Olsson is an English rock drummer, who is best known for his work with Elton John. Olsson helped establish the Elton John sound as one of the first members of John's band, on drums, percussion and backing vocals. When not working with Elton, Olsson has taken up the role of a session musician...
, drummer for Elton John, solo recording artist - Nigel PivaroNigel PivaroNigel Pivaro is an English journalist who as an actor was best known for playing Terry Duckworth, the son of Vera and Jack Duckworth in Coronation Street.- Career :Pivaro was born in Manchester, England...
, An English actor famous for his role as Terry Duckworth in Coronation Street - Nigel PlanerNigel PlanerNigel George Planer is an English actor, comedian, novelist and playwright.Planer is perhaps best known for his role as Neil Pye in the cult BBC comedy The Young Ones. He has appeared in many West End musicals, including Evita, Chicago, We Will Rock You, Wicked and Hairspray...
, actor - Nigel Reo-CokerNigel Reo-CokerNigel Shola Andre Reo-Coker is an English footballer of Sierra Leonean descent. He currently plays for Bolton Wanderers of the Premier League. He is known for being a robust midfielder with good overall tackling and passing qualities...
, An English footballer currently playing for Bolton WanderersBolton Wanderers F.C.Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001.... - Nigel ShortNigel ShortNigel David Short MBE is an English chess grandmaster earning the title at the age of 19. Short is often regarded as the strongest English player of the 20th century as he was ranked third in the world, from January 1988 – July 1989 and in 1993, he challenged Garry Kasparov for the World Chess...
, chess player - Nigel SmartNigel SmartNigel James Smart was an Australian rules footballer with the Adelaide Crows from 1991 to 2004. He was a defender who was a crowd favourite with his bald head and goatee....
, Australian rules footballer - Nigel Stock, actor who played Dr Watson
- Nigel WatsonNigel WatsonNigel Watson is a British blues-rock 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 singles, "Heavy Heart" and "Beasts of Burden", the latter being credited to both musicians...
, British blues-rock guitarist - Nigel West, pen name of Rupert AllasonRupert AllasonRupert William Simon Allason is a military historian and former Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom. He was the Member of Parliament for Torbay in Devon, from 1987 to 1997...
- Nigel WinterburnNigel WinterburnNigel Winterburn is a retired English footballer who played at left-back for Arsenal. He is best known for his role alongside Tony Adams, Martin Keown and Lee Dixon, forming a celebrated defensive line in the Premier League and European football during the 1990s.-Early career:Winterburn was born...
, former Arsenal and England footballer - Nigel WorthingtonNigel WorthingtonNigel Worthington is a former Northern Ireland international footballer and manager.He was manager of the Northern Ireland national team from 2007 until after their final Euro 2012 qualifying campaign match against Italy in October 2011.As a player, he was a left full back and occasional left...
, footballer and subsequently manager for, in turn, Blackpool, Norwich City, Leicester City and Northern Ireland
Fictional characters
- Sir Nigel Thornberry, fictional wildlife documentary producer from The Wild Thornberrys
- Nigel TufnelNigel TufnelNigel Tufnel was the lead guitarist of the rock band Spinal Tap featured in the 1984 mockumentary film This Is Spinal Tap. He was played by actor Christopher Guest.-Character biography:...
, lead guitarist for the fictional band Spinal Tap - Nigel Olifaunt, Lord Glenvarloch, main character of Sir Walter Scott's novel 'The Fortunes of NigelThe Fortunes of NigelThe Fortunes of Nigel is a novel written by Sir Walter Scott. The setting is some time between 1616 and 1625.- Plot introduction :...
' - Sir NigelSir NigelSir Nigel is a historical novel set during the Hundred Years' War, by the British author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Written in 1906, it is a fore-runner to Doyle's earlier novel The White Company, and describes the early life of that book's hero Sir Nigel Loring in the service of King Edward III at...
(Loring), a novel by Arthur Conan Doyle - Nigel Pargetter, a character on the BBC radio soap opera The ArchersThe ArchersThe Archers is a long-running British soap opera broadcast on the BBC's main spoken-word channel, Radio 4. It was originally billed as "an everyday story of country folk", but is now described on its Radio 4 web site as "contemporary drama in a rural setting"...
- Nigel Forrester, a character from Bratz Rock Angelz whom Cloe falls in love with
- Nigel Uno, a fictional character from Codename: Kids Next DoorCodename: Kids Next DoorCodename: Kids Next Door, also known as Kids Next Door or by its acronym KND, is an American animated television series created by Tom Warburton and produced by Curious Pictures in Santa Monica, California.. The series debuted on Cartoon Network on December 6, 2002 and aired its final episode on...