Nathan Boy

Popularity: #63 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: NAY-thin //ˈneɪθən//

Origin: Hebrew; English

Meaning: Hebrew: He has given; English: Gift from God

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Nathan has its roots in the Hebrew language, derived from the verb 'natan,' which means 'to give.' The earliest form of the name appears in the Hebrew Bible as נָתָן (Natan), where it is associated with several biblical figures, most notably Nathan the prophet, who served during the reign of King David in the 10th century BCE. The name was later transliterated into Greek as Ναθάν (Nathán) and subsequently into Latin as Nathanus, before making its way into Old French and eventually into Middle English as Nathan.

Historically, Nathan is significant due to its biblical connections, particularly through the prophet Nathan, who played a crucial role in advising King David and confronting him regarding his moral failings. This biblical narrative has been influential in Jewish and Christian traditions, contributing to the name's enduring presence in various cultures.

The name appears in the genealogies of Jesus in the New Testament, further solidifying its importance in Christian contexts. Culturally, Nathan has been associated with themes of wisdom and guidance, reflective of its biblical roots.

The name has also been linked to various saints and notable figures throughout history, enhancing its resonance in religious and cultural narratives. In addition to Nathan, the name has several diminutive forms, such as Nate, which have emerged in various languages and cultures, although these forms are less historically significant than the original.

Overall, Nathan's etymological journey and historical milestones underscore its lasting impact across different societies.

Famous people named Nathan

In this section, you will find notable people named Nathan. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Nathan who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Nathan who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Nathan Fillion is an actor best known for Firefly, Castle, and The Rookie.

Nathan Lane is an actor best known for The Producers, The Birdcage, and The Lion King.

Nathan Chen is a figure skater best known for winning multiple World Championships and Olympic medals.

Nathan Myhrvold is an author and entrepreneur best known for Modernist Cuisine and his work with Microsoft.

Nathan Hale is a historical figure best known for being an American Revolutionary War soldier and spy.

Nathan Adrian is a swimmer best known for winning multiple Olympic gold medals in freestyle events.

Nathan Kress is an actor best known for his role in iCarly and its revival.

Nathan Fielder is a comedian and writer best known for Nathan for You and his work on Comedy Central.

Nathan Sykes is a singer best known as a member of The Wanted and for his solo career.

Fictional characters named Nathan

The following list of fictional characters named Nathan is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Nathan Drake is a fictional character from the video game series Uncharted. He is a treasure hunter known for his adventurous spirit and witty personality.

Nathan Scott is a fictional character from the TV series One Tree Hill. He is a talented basketball player who navigates complex relationships and personal challenges throughout the series.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Nathan, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

EthanMasonCalebIsaacSamuelJacob

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Nathan. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

NathanielNoahNicolasMatthewLucasDanielDavidAndrew

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Nathan was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Nathan has ranked as high as #28 nationally, which occurred in 2004, and has been most popular in California, Texas, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York.

In the past 5 years the name Nathan has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Nathan is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Nathan was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Nathan.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 4,980 4,975 5
2024 5,037 5,029 8
2023 5,073 5,073 0
2022 5,550 5,544 6
2021 5,438 5,432 6
2020 5,702 5,702 0
2019 6,090 6,090 0
2018 6,860 6,850 10
2017 7,450 7,442 8
2016 8,006 8,000 6
2015 8,609 8,600 9
2014 9,006 8,997 9
2013 9,730 9,721 9
2012 10,447 10,431 16
2011 10,534 10,523 11
2010 11,389 11,380 9
2009 12,152 12,135 17
2008 13,276 13,262 14
2007 13,623 13,605 18
2006 14,300 14,278 22
2005 14,397 14,365 32
2004 14,696 14,634 62
2003 13,693 13,667 26
2002 13,253 13,224 29
2001 12,665 12,647 18
2000 13,055 13,040 15
1999 12,557 12,538 19
1998 11,595 11,586 9
1997 10,457 10,442 15
1996 10,311 10,287 24
1995 10,325 10,306 19
1994 10,420 10,386 34
1993 10,226 10,199 27
1992 10,174 10,154 20
1991 10,528 10,500 28
1990 10,959 10,934 25
1989 10,947 10,904 43
1988 10,198 10,154 44
1987 9,972 9,910 62
1986 10,059 9,996 63
1985 10,742 10,653 89
1984 10,687 10,614 73
1983 10,643 10,557 86
1982 10,874 10,805 69
1981 11,325 11,256 69
1980 11,213 11,138 75
1979 10,782 10,719 63
1978 9,948 9,890 58
1977 9,932 9,886 46
1976 8,655 8,611 44
1975 7,106 7,069 37
1974 5,872 5,844 28
1973 4,758 4,734 24
1972 3,537 3,512 25
1971 3,065 3,047 18
1970 2,557 2,545 12
1969 1,920 1,908 12
1968 1,667 1,654 13
1967 1,439 1,432 7
1966 1,422 1,422 0
1965 1,425 1,417 8
1964 1,500 1,500 0
1963 1,545 1,540 5
1962 1,532 1,532 0
1961 1,497 1,489 8
1960 1,637 1,630 7
1959 1,387 1,378 9
1958 1,248 1,237 11
1957 1,230 1,225 5
1956 1,099 1,099 0
1955 956 950 6
1954 959 959 0
1953 806 806 0
1952 851 851 0
1951 870 870 0
1950 751 751 0
1949 660 660 0
1948 620 620 0
1947 617 617 0
1946 557 557 0
1945 488 488 0
1944 507 507 0
1943 586 581 5
1942 523 523 0
1941 527 527 0
1940 497 497 0
1939 475 468 7
1938 515 515 0
1937 434 434 0
1936 464 464 0
1935 468 468 0
1934 469 469 0
1933 413 413 0
1932 486 486 0
1931 449 442 7
1930 546 540 6
1929 522 513 9
1928 548 548 0
1927 643 636 7
1926 669 669 0
1925 620 615 5
1924 680 680 0
1923 739 739 0
1922 754 749 5
1921 758 751 7
1920 815 815 0
1919 849 849 0
1918 945 945 0
1917 887 881 6
1916 904 904 0
1915 922 916 6
1914 848 848 0
1913 615 615 0
1912 581 581 0
1911 348 348 0
1910 245 245 0
1909 209 209 0
1908 178 178 0
1907 176 176 0
1906 148 148 0
1905 168 168 0
1904 131 131 0
1903 146 146 0
1902 143 143 0
1901 131 131 0
1900 186 186 0
1899 112 112 0
1898 99 99 0
1897 139 139 0
1896 110 110 0
1895 119 119 0
1894 127 127 0
1893 114 114 0
1892 144 144 0
1891 106 106 0
1890 110 110 0
1889 121 121 0
1888 129 129 0
1887 106 106 0
1886 136 136 0
1885 103 103 0
1884 100 100 0
1883 93 93 0
1882 113 113 0
1881 91 91 0
1880 114 114 0

Top States for Nathan (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
CA 814
16%
TX 629
13%
FL 398
8%
NY 346
7%
PA 201
4%
NJ 188
4%
IL 186
4%
NC 147
3%
MA 145
3%
GA 133
3%
OH 128
3%
VA 123
2%
MD 123
2%
WA 108
2%
CO 91
2%
AZ 85
2%
MI 84
2%
TN 82
2%
CT 68
1%
WI 64
1%
IN 63
1%
AL 59
1%
SC 59
1%
LA 57
1%
MN 56
1%
NV 53
1%
MO 52
1%
KY 50
1%
OK 45
1%
UT 37
1%
OR 36
1%
IA 33
1%
KS 31
1%
ID 27
1%
AR 26
1%
NM 25
0%
DC 20
0%
MS 18
0%
NE 16
0%
WV 14
0%
NH 12
0%
DE 11
0%
RI 11
0%
MT 10
0%
ME 9
0%
HI 8
0%
ND 8
0%
SD 8
0%
AK 5
0%