Nate: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

Rank 2025

#1,748

among boys · ↓178 vs 2024

Babies in 2025

named Nate · -16% vs 2024

How common

1 in 18,366

boys born in 2025

Peak year

2007

181 babies

All-time total

4,791

#1,914 all-time among boys

First recorded

1880

in Social Security records

Nate popularity over time

4,791 babies have been named Nate since 1880, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure

Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras

BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade	Girls	Boys	Total	Per year	Change	Best rank
1880s	–	5	5	1	–	#1,019
1890s	–	6	6	1	+20%	#1,067
1900s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1910s	–	66	66	7	–	#1,484
1920s	–	79	79	8	+20%	#2,585
1930s	–	59	59	6	-25%	#2,064
1940s	–	105	105	11	+78%	#1,867
1950s	–	163	163	16	+55%	#1,223
1960s	7	290	297	30	+82%	#1,231
1970s	86	311	397	40	+34%	#1,253
1980s	111	235	346	35	-13%	#1,846
1990s	69	376	445	45	+29%	#1,784
2000s	28	1,163	1,191	119	+168%	#1,046
2010s	–	1,031	1,031	103	-13%	#1,275
2020s (to 2025)	–	601	601	100	-3%	#1,570

Where Nate is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year	Projected babies	Per 1,000 boys	Implied rank
2026	96	0.06	outside top 500
2027	100	0.06	outside top 500
2028	102	0.06	outside top 500
2029	105	0.06	outside top 500
2030	107	0.06	outside top 500

Where Nate is most popular

Boys named Nate per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.060 per 1,000. Strongest in New York, New Jersey, and Louisiana.

Vs national average

well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are boys named Nate born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State	Boys 2021–2025	Per 1,000	vs national
New York	71	0.164	+171%
New Jersey	33	0.164	+171%
Louisiana	10	0.098	+62%
California	78	0.085	+41%
Florida	38	0.080	+33%
Texas	63	0.072	+18%
Illinois	14	0.055	-9%
Washington	5	0.031	-49%
Alaska	–	–	–
Alabama	–	–	–
Arkansas	–	–	–
Arizona	–	–	–
Colorado	–	–	–
Connecticut	–	–	–
District of Columbia	–	–	–
Delaware	–	–	–
Georgia	–	–	–
Hawaii	–	–	–
Iowa	–	–	–
Idaho	–	–	–
Indiana	–	–	–
Kansas	–	–	–
Kentucky	–	–	–
Massachusetts	–	–	–
Maryland	–	–	–
Maine	–	–	–
Michigan	–	–	–
Minnesota	–	–	–
Missouri	–	–	–
Mississippi	–	–	–
Montana	–	–	–
North Carolina	–	–	–
North Dakota	–	–	–
Nebraska	–	–	–
New Hampshire	–	–	–
New Mexico	–	–	–
Nevada	–	–	–
Ohio	–	–	–
Oklahoma	–	–	–
Oregon	–	–	–
Pennsylvania	–	–	–
Rhode Island	–	–	–
South Carolina	–	–	–
South Dakota	–	–	–
Tennessee	–	–	–
Utah	–	–	–
Virginia	–	–	–
Vermont	–	–	–
Wisconsin	–	–	–
West Virginia	–	–	–
Wyoming	–	–	–

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Nate

Nate is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #1,748 in 2025 with 93 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 4,791 American babies have been named Nate, about 94% boys and 6% girls, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 2007, when 181 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2000s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Nate stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Nate?

The median living Nate is about 19 years old; half are between 11 and 37. An estimated 4,400 people named Nate are alive in the United States today.

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Nate year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year	Girls	Girls rank	Boys	Boys rank
2025	–	–	93	#1,748
2024	–	–	111	#1,570
2023	–	–	110	#1,589
2022	–	–	108	#1,618
2021	–	–	100	#1,662
2020	–	–	79	#1,885
2019	–	–	76	#1,947
2018	–	–	93	#1,697
2017	–	–	83	#1,816
2016	–	–	91	#1,717
2015	–	–	94	#1,674
2014	–	–	104	#1,544
2013	–	–	113	#1,464
2012	–	–	108	#1,495
2011	–	–	132	#1,302
2010	–	–	137	#1,275
2009	6	#16,670	126	#1,363
2008	–	–	137	#1,274
2007	–	–	181	#1,046
2006	–	–	150	#1,139
2005	5	#18,378	141	#1,148
2004	–	–	116	#1,290
2003	5	#17,602	89	#1,474
2002	5	#17,333	91	#1,430
2001	7	#13,059	78	#1,561
2000	–	–	54	#1,938
1995	5	#15,046	35	#2,283
1990	10	#8,316	21	#3,027
1985	9	#7,363	23	#2,339
1980	23	#3,574	21	#2,419
1975	7	#7,704	30	#1,690
1970	7	#6,824	22	#1,918
1965	–	–	25	#1,582
1960	–	–	40	#1,249
1955	–	–	19	#1,832
1950	–	–	–	–
1945	–	–	10	#2,346
1940	–	–	13	#2,055
1935	–	–	13	#2,100
1930	–	–	–	–
1925	–	–	8	#3,319
1920	–	–	8	#3,403
1915	–	–	–	–
1910	–	–	–	–
1905	–	–	–	–
1900	–	–	–	–
1895	–	–	–	–
1890	–	–	–	–
1885	–	–	–	–
1880	–	–	5	#1,019

Famous people named Nate

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

1 Nate Diaz American mixed martial artist (born 1985) Contemporary
2 Nate Dogg American singer and rapper (1969–2011) Contemporary
3 Nate Ruess American singer (born 1982) Contemporary
4 Nate Robinson American basketball player (born 1984) Contemporary
5 Nate Parker American actor and filmmaker (born 1979) Contemporary
6 Nate Mendel American bassist (born 1968) Contemporary
7 Nate Archibald American basketball player (born 1948) Contemporary
8 Nate Thurmond American basketball player (1941–2016) Contemporary
9 Nate McMillan American basketball coach and former player (born 1964) Contemporary
10 Nate Brooks Topics referred to by the same term 1933–2020 · Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Nate, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Nate?

The median living Nate is about 19 years old. Half of all living Nates are between 11 and 37 years old.

How many people named Nate are alive today?

An estimated 4,400 people named Nate are alive in the United States, based on 4,791 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Nate mean?

A diminutive of the male given names Nathan, Nathanael and Nathaniel, and also a female given name Natalie.

How popular is the name Nate in 2025?

Nate ranked #1,748 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 93 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Nate?

4,791 babies have been named Nate in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Nate most popular?

Nate peaked in 2007, when 181 newborns received the name.

Is Nate a boy or girl name?

Nate is used for both: about 6% of babies named Nate have been girls and 94% boys.

Is the name Nate rising or falling?

Nate has been roughly stable over the past decade.

Will Nate become more popular?

Nate is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 107 boys named Nate in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Nate?

Well-known people named Nate include Nate Diaz (martial arts), Nate Dogg (singer), Nate Ruess (singer).

Names like Nate

Names that sound and feel close to Nate: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Nate with similar names → More names starting with N →