Nevil, derived from an Old French surname de Neville, is a distinctive given name of Norman origin. It is believed to have been derived from the place name Neville, which was in Normandy before the Normans arrived in England during the 11th century. The name has since been adopted as a personal name and can be found in various spellings such as Nevill, Neville, and even Nevyle. In literature, it is notably associated with Sir Nevile Gillmer, an English novelist of the 19th century.
The name Nevil appears to have seen a brief spike in popularity around the early 1900s, with five births recorded in both 1914 and 1919. There was another notable peak in 1922, with six births that year. However, after 1936 (another year with five births), its popularity seems to have waned significantly, as evidenced by no further records until a single birth in 1965. In total, there were 26 births named Nevil during this period.