List of people from Nagercoil

The following is a list of prominent people who were born in/lived in or around Nagercoil, or for whom Nagercoil is a significant part of their identity.

Kings of Travancore

 * Marthanda Varma Kulasekhara Perumal (1729–1758)
 * Balarama Varma Kulasekhara Perumal – Dharma Raja Karthika Thirunal (1758–1798)
 * Balarama Varma Kulasekhara Perumal (1798–1810)
 * Gouri Laksmibhai Ranee (1810–1815)
 * Gouri Parvathibhai Ranee (1815–1829)
 * Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma Kulasekhara Perumal (1829–1847)
 * Uthram Thirunal Marthanda Varma Maharaja (1847–1860)
 * Ayilyam Thirunal Rama Varma Maharaja (1860–1880)
 * Visakham Thirunal Rama Varma Maharaja (1880–1885)
 * Shri Moolam Thirunal Maharajah (1885–1924)
 * Sethu Laksmibhai Ranee (1924–1933)
 * Shri Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma Maharajah (1933–1949) – last King of Travancore; Rajpramukh of Thiru-Kochi

Reserve Bank of India

 * S. Venkitaramanan - 18th Governor of the Reserve Bank of India.

Navy

 * Admiral Oscar Stanley Dawson - 12th Chief of Naval Staff of the Indian Navy.
 * Admiral Sushil Kumar - 16th Chief of Naval Staff of the Indian Navy.
 * Admiral Nilakanta Krishnan - Indo-Pakistani War of 1971.

Police

 * F. V. Arul - 2nd Central Bureau of Investigation Director.
 * Walter Devaram - Former Director general of police of Tamil Nadu.
 * Christopher Nelson - Former Director general of police of Tamil Nadu.
 * G. Nanchil Kumaran - Former Director general of police of Tamil Nadu.
 * N. Paramasivan Nair - Former Director general of police of Kerala.
 * Joel Davis - Director general of police, Hyderabad.

Chief Justice of State

 * N. Paul Vasanthakumar - Chief Justice of Jammu & Kashmir (2015-2017).

Jurists

 * Omana Kunjamma - First Indian Women Magistrate.

Diplomats

 * Bijay Selvaraj - Indian Ambassador to UK, Egypt, and Bangladesh.

Government Secretaries

 * Nilakanta Mahadeva AyyarCIE - Former Governor of Bengal and Chief Secretary to the Government of India.
 * Y. S. Rajan - Secretary, Department of Space, Indian Space Research Organisation.
 * Sheela Balakrishnan - Former Chief Secretary of Tamil Nadu.
 * Girija Vaidyanathan - Chief Secretary of Tamil Nadu.
 * M. G. Devashagayam - Former Chief Secretary of Haryana.

Scientists

 * G.D.Boaz - First Indian psychologist.
 * Raja Chelliah - Indian economist and recipient of Padma Vibushan.
 * Ranjan Roy Daniel - Indian cosmic-physicist and former director of Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Recipient of Padma Bhushan.
 * Subbayya Sivasankaranarayana Pillai - Indian mathematician and inventor of Pillai's conjecture, Pillai's arithmetical function, Pillai prime, Pillai sequence.
 * M.S.S. Pandian - Renowned social scientist and former Dean of Department of Social Science at Jawaharlal Nehru University.
 * H. S. S. Lawrence - Special Envoy to Afghanistan.
 * C. Livingstone - Indian plant taxonomist.
 * Kolappa Kanakasabhapathy Pillay - Indian historian and former dean at University of Madras.
 * Ajayan Vinu - Indian material scientist and professor University of Queensland.
 * Sivanandi Rajadurai - Indian scientist in the field of catalysis, physical chemistry, and emission control.

Defence Research and Development Organisation

 * A. Sivathanu Pillai - Former chairman of DRDO.
 * S. Christopher - Chairman of DRDO.

Indian Space Research Organisation

 * G. Madhavan Nair - 6th Chairman (2003-2009)
 * Kailasavadivoo Sivan - 10th Chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation
 * Nambi Narayanan - Aerospace Scientist and Founder of Cryogenic Engine in India.

Film, television, theater, and dance

 * Sathyan - First Malayalam film superstar.
 * Sukumari - Indian film actress.
 * Manju Warrier - Malayalam film actress.
 * Madhavan Nair - Malayalam film actor.
 * J. C. Daniel - Father of Malayalam film industry.
 * Thikkurissy Sukumaran Nair - Malayalam film director.
 * Nyla Usha - Malayalam film actress.
 * Manu Ramesan - Indian film composer.
 * M. Rajesh - Tamil film director.
 * K. R. Ramsingh - Indian theater artist.
 * M. R. Gopakumar - Renowned Indian theater artist.
 * Deepti Omchery Bhalla - Indian Mohiniattam dance exponent.
 * Padmesh - Indian cinematographer.
 * Vijay Vasanth - Indian actor.
 * Menaka Suresh - Indian actress.
 * Bala Singh - Indian actor

Comedians, humorists, and entertainers

 * N. S. Krishnan - Tamil actor.
 * Kanal Kannan - Renowned Indian action choreographer, stunt co-ordinator.

Musicians

 * Vishwas Nicholas - Singer/Songwriter/Composer (Guinness World Record Holder).
 * Vijay Antony - Indian music composer, playback singer.
 * K.V. Mahadevan - Composer; winner of the National Film Award for Best Music Direction (1968 & 1980).
 * Neelakanta Sivan - Carnatic music composer.
 * Nagercoil S. Ganesa Iyer - Prominent Carnatic musician and exponent.
 * Leela Omchery - Indian classical singer, musicologist and writer.
 * Nagercoil Harihara Iyer - Indian violinist.
 * Bhoothapandi Arunachalam Chidambaranathan - Indian film composer and musician.
 * Kamukara Purushothaman - Indian playback singer.
 * R. Muttusamy - Sri lankan musician and singer.
 * Neyyattinkara Vasudevan - Carnatic music vocalist.
 * Poongani, Veteran villupaattu exponent.

Art, literature, journalism, and philosophy

 * Kavimani Desigavinayagam Pillai - Tamil Renaissance poet.
 * Thirunainar Kurichi Madhavan Nair - Renowned Indian poet, novelist and lyricist.
 * T. V. Ramasubbaiyer - Founder of Indian Daily Newspaper Dinamalar.
 * Amsi Narayanapilla - Renowned Malayalam Poet.
 * T. N. Gopakumar - Editor in chief of Asianet News
 * Aiyappan Pillai - Renowned Malayalam Author.
 * Neela Padmanabhan - Indian writer and 2007 recipient of Sahitya Akademi Award.
 * Nanjil Nadan - Indian writer and 2010 recipient of Sahitya Akademi Award.
 * T. M. Chidambara Ragunathan - Indian writer and 1983 recipient of Sahitya Akademi Award.
 * Thoppil Mohamed Meeran - Indian writer and 1997 recipient of Sahitya Akademi Award.
 * Ponneelan - Indian writer and 1994 recipient of Sahitya Akademi Award.
 * Rajasekharan Parameswaran - Indian painter.
 * David Davidar - English novelist.
 * B. Jeyamohan - Indian writer and literary critic.
 * S. Ramesan Nair - Indian poet.
 * Aravindan Neelakandan - Indian columnist at Swarajya

Entrepreneurs and businessmen

 * H. Vasanthakumar - Founder and director of Vasanth & Co.

Environmentalists

 * Jivanayakam Cyril Daniel - Indian naturalist.
 * A. J. T. Johnsingh - Former director of Wildlife Institute of India.
 * S. S. Davidson - Indian environmentalist.

Sports

 * Ramanathan Krishnan - Retired Indian tennis player and Wimbledon semifinalist in 1960 & 1961.
 * Thalaivan Sargunam - Indian cricketer.
 * Antony Dhas - Indian cricketer.