Nathaniel Boy

Popularity: #139 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: nuh-THAN-yuhl //nəˈθæn.jəl//

Origin: Hebrew; English

Meaning: Hebrew: Gift of God; English: Born on the day of the Nativity

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Nathaniel has its roots in the Hebrew name נְתַנְאֵל (Netan'el), which translates to "gift of God." This name is composed of two elements: "natan," meaning "to give," and "El," referring to God. The name was adopted into Greek as Ναθαναήλ (Nathanael) and later into Latin as Nathanael, before making its way into Old French and eventually into Middle English as Nathaniel.

The transition into English occurred around the 14th century, where it was often used in religious contexts due to its biblical associations. Historically, Nathaniel appears in the New Testament as one of the apostles of Jesus, specifically mentioned in the Gospel of John, which dates to the 1st century CE.

His character is often associated with sincerity and integrity, as he is described as a man without guile. The name gained further prominence through various translations of the Bible, including the King James Version in the early 17th century, which helped solidify its use in Christian contexts.

Additionally, Nathaniel was borne by several notable figures throughout history, including Nathaniel Hawthorne, an influential American novelist of the 19th century. Culturally, Nathaniel has been associated with themes of divine favor and moral uprightness, resonating with its original meaning.

The name has also inspired various diminutive forms, such as Nate, which have been used in different contexts. The enduring appeal of Nathaniel can be attributed to its strong biblical roots and the positive connotations associated with its meaning, making it a name that has persisted through centuries of cultural and linguistic evolution.

Famous people named Nathaniel

In this section, you will find notable people named Nathaniel. 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 Nathaniel who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Nathaniel 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.

Nathaniel Hawthorne is a novelist best known for The Scarlet Letter, The House of the Seven Gables, and The Blithedale Romance.

Nathaniel Philbrick is an author and historian best known for In the Heart of the Sea, Mayflower, and Sea of Glory.

Nathaniel Buzolic is an actor best known for The Vampire Diaries, The Originals, and Hacksaw Ridge.

Nathaniel Parker is an actor best known for The Inspector Lynley Mysteries, The Bodyguard, and The Other Boleyn Girl.

Nathaniel Rateliff is a musician best known for Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Falling Faster Than You Can Run, and In Memory of Loss.

Nathaniel Greene is a military general best known for his role in the American Revolutionary War.

Fictional characters named Nathaniel

The following list of fictional characters named Nathaniel 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.

Nathaniel is a fictional character from the book series The Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud. He is a young magician who seeks power and recognition in a world filled with magic and supernatural beings.

Nathaniel is a fictional character from the animated series The Amazing World of Gumball. He is a minor character who appears as a student at Elmore Junior High, known for his quirky personality.

Sibling suggestions

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

GabrielSamuelElijahIsaacDanielMatthew

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Nathaniel. 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.

NathanNoahEthanSebastianJulianZacharyMalachiJosiah

U.S. Historical Usage

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

Nathaniel has ranked as high as #102 nationally, which occurred in 2002, and has been most popular in California, Texas, New York, Florida, and Ohio.

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

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Nathaniel 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 Nathaniel 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 Nathaniel.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 2,565 2,565 0
2024 2,520 2,520 0
2023 2,533 2,533 0
2022 2,712 2,706 6
2021 2,834 2,834 0
2020 2,936 2,930 6
2019 3,097 3,097 0
2018 3,391 3,391 0
2017 3,541 3,541 0
2016 3,893 3,887 6
2015 4,234 4,234 0
2014 4,317 4,317 0
2013 4,544 4,538 6
2012 4,795 4,795 0
2011 4,993 4,980 13
2010 5,116 5,110 6
2009 5,435 5,426 9
2008 5,866 5,858 8
2007 6,076 6,067 9
2006 6,635 6,627 8
2005 6,696 6,689 7
2004 6,710 6,675 35
2003 6,671 6,666 5
2002 6,829 6,813 16
2001 6,663 6,646 17
2000 6,811 6,797 14
1999 6,479 6,467 12
1998 6,436 6,427 9
1997 5,781 5,775 6
1996 5,427 5,420 7
1995 5,216 5,203 13
1994 5,039 5,029 10
1993 4,863 4,854 9
1992 4,700 4,687 13
1991 4,375 4,367 8
1990 4,365 4,348 17
1989 4,136 4,121 15
1988 4,076 4,054 22
1987 4,081 4,050 31
1986 4,069 4,032 37
1985 4,029 4,004 25
1984 3,626 3,600 26
1983 3,671 3,641 30
1982 3,973 3,939 34
1981 3,745 3,719 26
1980 3,520 3,492 28
1979 3,066 3,040 26
1978 2,946 2,925 21
1977 2,522 2,500 22
1976 2,217 2,209 8
1975 1,987 1,957 30
1974 1,621 1,609 12
1973 1,412 1,391 21
1972 1,220 1,208 12
1971 1,225 1,210 15
1970 1,147 1,136 11
1969 1,008 991 17
1968 932 921 11
1967 986 976 10
1966 916 903 13
1965 1,084 1,071 13
1964 1,031 1,023 8
1963 1,032 1,026 6
1962 1,093 1,085 8
1961 1,059 1,049 10
1960 1,154 1,146 8
1959 1,170 1,159 11
1958 1,117 1,102 15
1957 1,279 1,262 17
1956 1,320 1,309 11
1955 1,347 1,334 13
1954 1,239 1,228 11
1953 1,279 1,267 12
1952 1,271 1,258 13
1951 1,259 1,247 12
1950 1,236 1,223 13
1949 1,200 1,192 8
1948 1,170 1,159 11
1947 1,106 1,100 6
1946 987 977 10
1945 853 853 0
1944 873 864 9
1943 845 839 6
1942 848 843 5
1941 834 829 5
1940 844 833 11
1939 775 770 5
1938 749 749 0
1937 708 703 5
1936 746 738 8
1935 754 747 7
1934 790 782 8
1933 736 728 8
1932 789 781 8
1931 664 659 5
1930 761 754 7
1929 767 760 7
1928 740 728 12
1927 779 769 10
1926 827 821 6
1925 820 810 10
1924 808 800 8
1923 721 721 0
1922 800 800 0
1921 748 748 0
1920 837 837 0
1919 755 748 7
1918 661 661 0
1917 646 640 6
1916 590 590 0
1915 559 554 5
1914 470 470 0
1913 337 337 0
1912 356 356 0
1911 207 207 0
1910 232 232 0
1909 143 143 0
1908 150 150 0
1907 124 124 0
1906 101 101 0
1905 117 117 0
1904 105 105 0
1903 105 105 0
1902 88 88 0
1901 92 92 0
1900 118 118 0
1899 72 72 0
1898 90 90 0
1897 43 43 0
1896 73 73 0
1895 72 72 0
1894 77 77 0
1893 58 58 0
1892 78 78 0
1891 46 46 0
1890 75 75 0
1889 48 48 0
1888 63 63 0
1887 57 57 0
1886 59 59 0
1885 54 54 0
1884 56 56 0
1883 49 49 0
1882 57 57 0
1881 48 48 0
1880 60 60 0

Top States for Nathaniel (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 412
16%
TX 342
14%
FL 164
7%
NY 158
6%
PA 89
4%
GA 87
3%
NC 87
3%
NJ 83
3%
OH 80
3%
AZ 67
3%
VA 66
3%
IL 63
3%
WA 62
2%
TN 49
2%
MA 44
2%
MI 42
2%
CT 41
2%
IN 41
2%
AL 36
1%
KY 35
1%
CO 34
1%
MD 33
1%
MO 33
1%
SC 31
1%
OK 30
1%
MN 26
1%
OR 25
1%
LA 20
1%
AR 20
1%
NV 19
1%
WI 18
1%
NM 18
1%
WV 18
1%
KS 16
1%
UT 15
1%
IA 14
1%
ID 13
1%
DC 9
0%
MS 7
0%
AK 7
0%
MT 7
0%
ME 7
0%
NH 7
0%
ND 6
0%
HI 5
0%
NE 5
0%
RI 5
0%
SD 5
0%