Niven is a surname. It is derived from the

Scottish Gaelic Scottish Gaelic (, ; Endonym and exonym, endonym: ), also known as Scots Gaelic or simply Gaelic, is a Celtic language native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a member of the Goidelic language, Goidelic branch of Celtic, Scottish Gaelic, alongs ...

''Mac Cnaimhin''. Hanks; Coates; McClure (2016) p. 1941. Notable people with the name include: * Archibald C. Niven (1803–1882), American politician *

Alan Niven Alan Niven is a New Zealand-born band manager best known for his tenure as manager of Guns N' Roses and Great White. Biography Niven became the manager of Guns N' Roses, serving from 1986 to 1991. He was fired from his post just prior to the ...

, New Zealand former manager of the band Guns n Roses * Alan Niven (soccer) (1955–1999), Australian soccer player *

Alastair Niven Alastair Neil Robertson Niven (25 February 1944 – 26 March 2025) was an English literary scholar and author. He wrote books on D. H. Lawrence, Raja Rao, and Mulk Raj Anand, and over the years served as Director General of Africa Centre, Lond ...

(1944–2025), British literary scholar and author * Charles Niven (1845–1923), Scottish mathematician *

Colin Niven Colin Niven (6 September 1903 – 1 December 1968) was an Australian rules footballer who played for Fitzroy Football Club, Fitzroy and Melbourne Football Club, Melbourne in the Australian Football League, Victorian Football League (VFL). Famil ...

(1903–1968), Australian rules footballer *

David Niven James David Graham Niven (; 1 March 1910 – 29 July 1983) was an English actor, soldier, raconteur, memoirist and novelist. Niven was known as a handsome and debonair leading man in Classic Hollywood films. His accolades include an Academ ...

(1910–1983), British actor and author * David Niven, Jr. (born 1942), British actor, producer and executive, son of David Niven *

Derek Niven Derek Dunbar Niven (born 12 December 1983) is a Scottish former professional footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, ...

(born 1983), Scottish footballer * Frances Gamble (1949–1997), née Niven, South African climatologist and speleologist * Frederick Niven (1878–1944), Canadian novelist * George Niven (1929–2008), Scottish footballer *

Ivan M. Niven Ivan Morton Niven (October 25, 1915 May 9, 1999) was a Canadian-American Number theory, number theorist best remembered for his work on Waring's problem. He worked for many years as a professor at the University of Oregon, and was president of the ...

(1915–1999), Canadian–American mathematician *

James Niven James Niven (12 August 1851 – 30 September 1925) was a Scottish physician, perhaps best known for his work during the Spanish Flu outbreak in 1918 as Manchester's Medical Officer of Health. He held that position for 28 years (1894–1922), un ...

(1851–1925), Scottish physician *

Jennifer Niven Jennifer Niven is a ''New York Times'' and international best selling American author who is best known for the 2015 young adult book ''All the Bright Places''. Life and career Niven grew up in Richmond, Indiana. As well as writing novels, Ni ...

, American novelist * Jimmy Niven (1861–1933), Scottish footballer *

John Niven John Niven (born 1966) is a Scottish author and screenwriter. His books include ''Kill Your Friends'', ''The Amateurs'', and ''The Second Coming''. Career Born in Irvine, Ayrshire, Niven read English literature at the University of Glasgow, g ...

(born 1966), Scottish writer *

John Niven (footballer) John Niven (15 May 1921 – 4 April 2011) was a Scottish footballer, who played as a goalkeeper for Renfrew, Hibernian, Dundee, East Fife and Kilmarnock. Niven first signed for East Fife in 1942, after being spotted by East Fife manager John ...

(1921–2011), Scottish football goalkeeper *

Kip Niven Clifford Wallace "Kip" Niven (May 27, 1945 – May 6, 2019) was an American actor and theater director. Early life Niven was born in Kansas City, Missouri and grew up in Prairie Village, Kansas, the son of William Watson Niven and Elizabeth Hop ...

(1945–2019), American actor and theater director *

Larry Niven Laurence van Cott Niven (; born April 30, 1938) is an American science fiction writer. His 1970 novel ''Ringworld'' won the Hugo Award for Best Novel, Hugo, Locus Award, Locus, Ditmar Award, Ditmar, and Nebula Award for Best Novel, Nebula award ...

(born 1938), American science fiction author *

Margaret Graeme Niven Margaret Graeme Niven (1906–1997) was a British painter of landscapes, portraits and flowers. Biography Niven was born in Marlow in Buckinghamshire. Her father was the artist William Niven and she attended the Winchester School of Art, the H ...

(1906–1997), English artist *

Ninian Niven Ninian Niven (1799 – 18 February 1879) was a Scottish horticulturist and landscape gardener. Early life and family Ninian Niven was born in 1799 in Kelvingrove, Glasgow. His father, also Ninian Niven, was a gardener at Keir House near Stirlin ...

(1799–1879), Scottish horticulturist and landscape gardener *

Paul K. Niven Jr. Paul Kendall Niven Jr. (September 20, 1924 – January 7, 1970) was CBS television journalist and presidential debate moderator. He was one of Ed Murrow's team of reporters at CBS. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, he and his family returned to Brun ...

(1924–1970), American journalist *

Peter Niven Peter Niven (b. 7 Aug 1964) is a retired British jump jockey in National Hunt racing. In May 2001 he became the first Scotsman and sixth jockey to ride over 1,000 winners, eventually retiring in September that year with 1002 winners. At the time ...

(born 1964), Scottish jockey *

Ray Niven Raymond Gordon "Bunty" Niven (25 April 1911 – 26 November 1992) was an Australian rules footballer who played with Fitzroy and Melbourne in the Victorian Football League (VFL). Family His brother, Colin Niven Colin Niven (6 Septembe ...

(1911–1992), Australian rules footballer *

Robert Niven (English cricketer) Robert Andrew Niven (born 28 April 1948) is an English former cricketer. He played 25 first-class matches for Oxford University Cricket Club Oxford University Cricket Club (OUCC), which represents the University of Oxford, had held first-c ...

(born 1948), English cricketer *

Robert Niven (New Zealand cricketer) Robert Campbell Niven (11 December 1859 – 14 April 1919) was a New Zealand cricketer. He played first-class cricket for Otago and Wellington between the 1888–89 and 1900–01 seasons. Niven, who was born at Emerald Hill in Melbourne, Aust ...

(1859–1919), New Zealand cricketer *

Robert Niven (soldier) Robert Niven (December 18, 1833 - December 21, 1921) was an American soldier who fought in the American Civil War. Niven received his country's highest award for bravery during combat, the Medal of Honor. Niven's medal was won for capturing two Co ...

(1853–1921), American Civil War officer awarded the Medal of Honor *

Stuart Niven Stuart Niven (born 24 December 1978) is a Scottish former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. Career Niven began his career in the Ipswich Town youth system. He made his senior debut for the club in a 3–1 win over Sheffield Un ...

(born 1978), Scottish former footballer *

Thornton M. Niven Thornton MacNess Niven (18061895) was a Scottish-American architect and master stonecutter who worked primarily in Newburgh, New York, but also in several locations along the Hudson River and Southern United States. Although Niven considered himse ...

(1806–1895), Scottish-American architect and master stonecutter *

William Niven William Niven (2 October 1850 – 2 June 1937) was a mineralogist and archeologist noted for his discovery of the minerals yttrialite, thorogummite, aguilarite and nivenite (named after him), as well as a set of controversial tablets. Ori ...

(1850–1937), Scottish mineralogist and archeologist *

William Davidson Niven Sir William Davidson Niven (24 March 1842 – 29 May 1917) was a Scottish mathematician and electrical engineer. After an early teaching career at Cambridge, Niven was Director of Studies at the Royal Naval College, Greenwich, for thirty years. ...

(1842–1917), British mathematician and electrical engineer *

William Dickie Niven William Dickie Niven (26 April 1879 – 26 February 1965), of Fyvie, Aberdeenshire, was a Scottish academic. Family Niven was the son of Charles Niven and Jane M. Mackay. In 1908, he married Isabella Cumming and they had two daughters. Educatio ...

(1879–1965), professor of ecclesiastical history

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* {{surname Anglicised Scottish Gaelic-language surnames Surnames of Scottish origin

See also

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