Nel is both a surname and a given name. Notable people with the name include:
Surname:
André Nel (born 1977), South African cricketerAnton Nel (born 1961), American classical pianistDewald Nel (born 1980), Scottish cricketerElizabeth Nel (1917–2007), personal secretary to Winston Churchill during the Second World WarGert Cornelius Nel (1885–1950), South African botanistGert Vlok Nel (born 1963), South African poetJack Nel (born 1928), South African cricketerJohannes Nel (born 1981), Namibian cricketerPhilip Nel (born 1969), American scholar of children's literature and professor of EnglishPhilip J. Nel (1902–1984), South African rugby union playerRuhan Nel (born 1991), South African rugby union playerVita Nel, South African beach volleyball playerWP Nel (born 1986), South African-born Scottish rugby playerGiven name:
Nellie Nel Benschop (1918–2005), Dutch poetNel Noddings (born 1929), American feminist, educationalist, and philosopherNel Tarleton (1906–1956), English featherweight boxerNel van Vliet (1926–2006), Dutch swimmerNel Rawlison, a main character in Henryk Sienkiewicz's novel In Desert and Wilderness