The N-type connector has been in use for many years. It was originally designed by Paul Neill of Bell Laboratories, and it is said to have gained its name from the first letter of his surname, although some references state that the N stands for Navy where the connector was initially used.

The development of the N-type connector arose out of the need for a high performance RF connector with a constant impedance, and its initial design aim was to perform up to 1 GHz. Since its first introduction, it has found many applications in areas where good RF performance is needed, along with the ability to carry high levels of power, and to be used with the larger sized coaxial cables. Also its peformance has been shown to extend well beyond the initial 1 GHz design aim.