The disclosed negative electrode active material for a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery includes active material particles containing silicon, and a surface layer formed on surfaces of the active material particles. The surface layer contains a reaction product of a compound allowed to react so as to form a siloxane bond. The compound includes a structure represented by Si-R1-Si. The R1 is an atomic group having a chain portion including, as constituent elements, an alkylene group and at least one selected from the group consisting of a sulfur atom, an oxygen atom, and a nitrogen atom. The two Si's are each bound with at least one atomic group selected from the group consisting of an alkoxy group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, and the like.