Nathaniel
Boy nameNathaniel has been given to 288,265 babies in the U.S. since 1880. It peaked in 2002 and currently ranks #140 for boys (2025).
Meaning & origin /nəˈθæn.jəl/
Modification, under influence of Daniel, of Nathanael, from Ancient Greek Ναθαναήλ (Nathanaḗl), from Biblical Hebrew נְתַנְאֵל (Netan'el, literally “God has given”).
Origin: Hebrew
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Popularity over time births per year, 1880–2025
Total babies
288,265
Peak year
2002 (6,829 babies)
Rank in 2025
#140 for boys
First recorded
1880
10-year trend
▼ -39%
Gender split
0% girls / 100% boys
Famous people named Nathaniel
Nathaniel Hawthorne
American author (1804–1864)
Nat King Cole
American singer and jazz pianist (1919–1965)
Nathaniel Clyne
English association football player (born 1991)
Nate Dogg
American singer and rapper (1969-2011)
Notability data from Wikidata (CC0).
Names with a similar vibe
Same primary gender, peaked around the same years, and roughly as common as Nathaniel.
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