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 (born 1926), Romanian retired 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 Patrichi (1944–2016), Romanian ballet dancer, choreographer and actor
• Cornel Pavlovici (1943–2013), Romanian footballer
• Cornel Penu (born 1926), Romanian retired handball player
• Cornel Piper (born 1837), 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 (born 1932), Romanian retired 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