boys' name ★ peaked 2004

Nathan

Meaning gave Gender Boy Rank 2025 #63 Trend ↓ Falling 16%

From Hebrew נָתָן (natán, “gave”).

Rank 2025
#63
among boys · ↓1 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
4,980
named Nathan · -1% vs 2024
How common
1 in 343
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2004
14,696 babies
All-time total
589,271
#57 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Nathan popularity over time

589,271 babies have been named Nathan 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
2.557.51018801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
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 – 1,106 1,106 111 – #115
1890s – 1,180 1,180 118 +7% #118
1900s – 1,616 1,616 162 +37% #126
1910s 12 7,132 7,144 714 +342% #109
1920s 33 6,715 6,748 675 -6% #172
1930s 20 4,699 4,719 472 -30% #233
1940s 5 5,577 5,582 558 +18% #243
1950s 31 10,126 10,157 1,016 +82% #207
1960s 60 15,524 15,584 1,558 +53% #154
1970s 355 65,857 66,212 6,621 +325% #36
1980s 673 105,987 106,660 10,666 +61% #36
1990s 220 107,332 107,552 10,755 +1% #32
2000s 253 134,857 135,110 13,511 +26% #20
2010s 87 88,034 88,121 8,812 -35% #27
2020s (to 2025) 25 31,755 31,780 5,297 -40% #55

Where Nathan 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 4,833 2.83 #66
2027 4,715 2.76 #69
2028 4,617 2.70 #72
2029 4,536 2.66 #73
2030 4,468 2.62 #74

Where Nathan is most popular

Boys named Nathan per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 3.02 per 1,000. Strongest in Delaware, Connecticut, and Maryland.

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 Nathan 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
Delaware 96 6.33 +110%
Connecticut 374 5.52 +83%
Maryland 649 5.44 +80%
New Jersey 1,087 5.40 +79%
Massachusetts 718 5.22 +73%
District of Columbia 74 5.01 +66%
Rhode Island 80 4.91 +63%
California 4,386 4.80 +59%
Wyoming 26 4.49 +49%
Florida 2,063 4.36 +44%
Nevada 241 4.23 +40%
New York 1,719 3.97 +32%
Texas 3,391 3.85 +28%
New Hampshire 84 3.78 +25%
Illinois 923 3.61 +20%
Alaska 43 3.61 +20%
Virginia 678 3.57 +18%
Washington 580 3.55 +18%
Pennsylvania 936 3.53 +17%
Hawaii 51 3.28 +9%
South Dakota 60 3.22 +7%
North Carolina 770 3.02 ≈ national
New Mexico 99 3.00 ≈ national
South Carolina 305 2.95 ≈ national
Colorado 380 2.94 ≈ national
Louisiana 301 2.94 ≈ national
Montana 50 2.84 -6%
Idaho 116 2.83 -6%
Arizona 450 2.75 -9%
Georgia 671 2.65 -12%
Nebraska 112 2.58 -15%
Oregon 195 2.57 -15%
North Dakota 43 2.52 -16%
Ohio 658 2.48 -18%
Oklahoma 219 2.48 -18%
Kentucky 247 2.46 -18%
Minnesota 296 2.41 -20%
Utah 223 2.34 -23%
Michigan 464 2.27 -25%
Alabama 245 2.24 -26%
Iowa 153 2.22 -26%
Tennessee 397 2.20 -27%
Wisconsin 259 2.19 -28%
Indiana 349 2.18 -28%
Kansas 146 2.13 -29%
Missouri 280 2.02 -33%
Arkansas 127 2.01 -33%
West Virginia 64 1.96 -35%
Mississippi 107 1.88 -38%
Vermont 11 1.75 -42%
Maine 31 1.60 -47%

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 Nathan

Nathan is a top-100 name for boys in the United States, ranked #63 in 2025 with 4,975 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 589,271 American babies have been named Nathan. Its peak came in 2004, when 14,696 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 Nathan stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Nathan?

The median living Nathan is about 27 years old; half are between 17 and 41. An estimated 544 thousand people named Nathan are alive in the United States today.

median 27 020406080100

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

Nathan 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 5 #16,565 4,975 #63
2024 8 #11,851 5,029 #62
2023 – – 5,073 #59
2022 6 #14,803 5,544 #57
2021 6 #14,745 5,432 #59
2020 – – 5,702 #55
2019 – – 6,090 #55
2018 10 #10,348 6,850 #48
2017 8 #12,424 7,442 #45
2016 6 #15,671 8,000 #43
2015 9 #11,582 8,600 #38
2014 9 #11,678 8,997 #38
2013 9 #11,699 9,721 #31
2012 16 #7,703 10,431 #29
2011 11 #10,212 10,523 #28
2010 9 #11,982 11,380 #27
2009 17 #7,593 12,135 #25
2008 14 #8,846 13,262 #21
2007 18 #7,318 13,605 #24
2006 22 #6,072 14,278 #23
2005 32 #4,342 14,365 #20
2004 62 #2,670 14,634 #20
2003 26 #4,902 13,667 #26
2002 29 #4,355 13,224 #28
2001 18 #6,236 12,647 #31
2000 15 #7,051 13,040 #30
1995 19 #5,167 10,306 #39
1990 25 #4,082 10,934 #44
1985 89 #1,426 10,653 #40
1980 75 #1,565 11,138 #36
1975 37 #2,265 7,069 #45
1970 12 #4,680 2,545 #130
1965 8 #5,157 1,417 #182
1960 7 #5,541 1,630 #190
1955 6 #5,657 950 #232
1950 – – 751 #243
1945 – – 488 #267
1940 – – 497 #243
1935 – – 468 #248
1930 6 #4,408 540 #234
1925 5 #5,550 615 #219
1920 – – 815 #172
1915 6 #4,109 916 #139
1910 – – 245 #135
1905 – – 168 #131
1900 – – 186 #126
1895 – – 119 #136
1890 – – 110 #130
1885 – – 103 #132
1880 – – 114 #115

Famous people named Nathan

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

  1. 1 Nathan Fillion Nathan Fillion Canadian–American actor (born 1971) Contemporary
  2. 2 Nathan Lane Nathan Lane American actor (born 1956) Contemporary
  3. 3 Nathan Bedford Forrest Nathan Bedford Forrest Confederate States Army general, planter, and slave trader (1821–1877) 19th century
  4. 4 Nathan Chen Nathan Chen American figure skater (born 1999) Contemporary
  5. 5 Nathan Jones Nathan Jones Australian professional wrestler, actor, and powerlifter (born 1970) Contemporary
  6. 6 Nathan Hale Nathan Hale American Patriot and soldier (1755–1776) 18th century
  7. 7 Nathan Stewart-Jarrett Nathan Stewart-Jarrett English film, television, and theatre actor b. 1985 · Contemporary
  8. 8 Nathan Kress Nathan Kress American actor (born 1992) Contemporary
  9. 9 Nathan Mayer Rothschild Nathan Mayer Rothschild German-born British financier (1777–1836) 18th century
  10. 10 Nathan East Nathan East American bass player and vocalist b. 1955 · Contemporary
  11. 11 Nathan Rothschild, 1st Baron Rothschild Nathan Rothschild, 1st Baron Rothschild British banker and politician (1840–1915) 19th century
  12. 12 Nathan Deal Nathan Deal American politician (born 1942) Contemporary
  13. 13 Nathan Gamble Nathan Gamble American actor (born 1998) Contemporary
  14. 14 Nathan Nathan Prophet in the Hebrew Bible -1000–-1000 · Antiquity
  15. 15 Nathan Dyer Nathan Dyer English footballer b. 1987 · Contemporary
  16. 16 Nathan Law Nathan Law Hong Kong activist (born 1993) Contemporary
  17. 17 Nathan Rosen Nathan Rosen Israeli-American physicist (1909–1995) Contemporary
  18. 18 Nathan Birnbaum Nathan Birnbaum Austrian philosopher (1864–1937) 19th century
  19. 19 Nathan Milstein Nathan Milstein American violinist (1904–1992) 1902–1992 · Contemporary
  20. 20 Nathan Jawai Nathan Jawai Australian basketball player (born 1986) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Nathan?

The median living Nathan is about 27 years old. Half of all living Nathans are between 17 and 41 years old.

How many people named Nathan are alive today?

An estimated 544 thousand people named Nathan are alive in the United States, based on 589,271 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Nathan mean?

From Hebrew נָתָן (natán, “gave”).

How popular is the name Nathan in 2025?

Nathan ranked #63 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 4,975 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Nathan?

589,271 babies have been named Nathan in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Nathan most popular?

Nathan peaked in 2004, when 14,696 newborns received the name.

Is Nathan a boy or girl name?

Nathan is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Nathan rising or falling?

Nathan is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Will Nathan become more popular?

Nathan is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 4,468 boys named Nathan in 2030, which would rank around #74. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Nathan?

Well-known people named Nathan include Nathan Fillion (actor), Nathan Lane (actor), Nathan Bedford Forrest (military personnel).

Names like Nathan

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

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