The Nugent family name has Norman origins and is widespread in counties Cork and Westmeath. The man who brought the name to Ireland was Hugh de Nugent, who arrived with the Anglo-Norman invasion in the 12th century. His family name came from the town of Nugent-le-Rotrou, near Chartres in France.

Two castles in Co. Westmeath had connections with the Nugents. Ballinlough Castle, at Clonellan, was saved from destruction in the 1930s by Sir Hugh Nugent and is still in Nugent occupation, while Delvin Castle, in the same county, was a Nugent stronghold.

Christopher Nugent, Baron Delvin, wrote the Irish Primer for Queen Elizabeth I. Count Lavall Nugent (1777-1862) from Ballincor, Co. Wicklow, was a field marshal in the Austrian army. He was present at the Battle of Solferino in 1859 at the age of eighty-two years. Frank Nugent was the deputy leader of the Irish Everest expedition in 1993, and Barbara Nugent is chief executive of the Sunday Business Post newspaper in Dublin.