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Name Origin

Niels is a Scandinavian masculine given name, primarily of Danish origin. It is a short form of the name Nielsine, which itself derives from the Greek name Nikolaos meaning 'victory of the people'.

scandinaviandanishmasculinevictorypeople

Famous People

Niels Bohr (1885-1962)

Physicist

  • Developed the Bohr model of the atom
  • Made foundational contributions to quantum mechanics
  • Won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1922

Niels Henrik Abel (1802-1829)

Mathematician

  • Proved the impossibility of solving the general quintic equation by radicals
  • Made significant contributions to the theory of elliptic functions and infinite series

Niels Ryberg Finsen (1860-1904)

Physician and Scientist

  • Pioneered the use of light therapy for treating diseases like lupus vulgaris
  • Won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1903