Cornel is a given name and occasionally a nickname (a hypocorism or short form of Corneliu). It may refer to:
Given name Cornel Buta (born 1977), Romanian footballer Cornel Cernea (born 1976), Romanian football goalkeeper Cornel Chin-Sue (born 1976), Jamaican footballer Cornel Cornea (born 1981), Romanian footballer Cornel Damian (born 1960), Romanian Roman Catholic auxiliary bishop Cornel Dinu (born 1948), Romanian retired football defender Cornel Dobre (born 1975), Romanian footballer Cornel Drăgușin (1926–2021), Romanian football manager Cornel Durău (born 1957), Romanian handball player Cornel Feruță (born 1975), Romanian diplomat Cornel Frăsineanu (born 1976), Romanian footballer Cornel Fredericks (born 1990), South African 400 m hurdler Cornel Gheorghe (born 1971), Romanian coach and retired figure skater Cornel Lengyel (1914–2003), American poet, historian, playwright and translator Cornel Lichtenberg (1848–?), Hungarian physician Cornel Lucas (1920–2012), British photographer Cornel Medrea (1888–1964), Romanian sculptor Cornel Oțelea (1940–2025), Romanian handball player Cornel Patrichi (1944–2016), Romanian ballet dancer, choreographer and actor Cornel Pavlovici (1943–2013), Romanian footballer Cornel Penu (born 1946), Romanian retired handball player Cornel Piper (1937–2018), retired Canadian Football League player Cornel Popa, various people Cornel Predescu (born 1987), Romanian footballer Cornel Țălnar (born 1957), Romanian coach and retired footballer Cornel Vena (1932–2017), Romanian pentathlete Cornel West (born 1953), American political scholar
Nickname Cornel Marin (born 1953), Romanian fencer and two-time Olympic bronze medalist Corneliu Oros (born 1950), Romanian retired volleyball player