Nathaniel
Modification, under influence of Daniel, of Nathanael, from Ancient Greek Ναθαναήλ (Nathanaḗl), from Biblical Hebrew נְתַנְאֵל (Netan'el, literally “God has given”).
Every Nathaniel since 1880 — 288,265 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Nathaniel
Nathaniel is moderately common for boys in the United States, ranked #140 in 2025 with 2,565 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.
Since 1880, 288,265 American babies have been named Nathaniel. Its peak came in 2002, when 6,829 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 Nathaniel stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Nathaniel 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 | — | — | 2,565 | #140 |
| 2024 | — | — | 2,520 | #144 |
| 2023 | — | — | 2,533 | #143 |
| 2022 | 6 | #14,804 | 2,706 | #138 |
| 2021 | — | — | 2,834 | #133 |
| 2020 | 6 | #14,611 | 2,930 | #125 |
| 2019 | — | — | 3,097 | #122 |
| 2018 | — | — | 3,391 | #116 |
| 2017 | — | — | 3,541 | #112 |
| 2016 | 6 | #15,672 | 3,887 | #103 |
| 2015 | — | — | 4,234 | #97 |
| 2014 | — | — | 4,317 | #94 |
| 2013 | 6 | #15,976 | 4,538 | #91 |
| 2012 | — | — | 4,795 | #84 |
| 2011 | 13 | #9,014 | 4,980 | #84 |
| 2010 | 6 | #16,377 | 5,110 | #81 |
| 2009 | 9 | #12,171 | 5,426 | #75 |
| 2008 | 8 | #13,454 | 5,858 | #77 |
| 2007 | 9 | #12,369 | 6,067 | #82 |
| 2006 | 8 | #13,260 | 6,627 | #69 |
| 2005 | 7 | #14,074 | 6,689 | #67 |
| 2004 | 35 | #4,069 | 6,675 | #68 |
| 2003 | 5 | #17,604 | 6,666 | #63 |
| 2002 | 16 | #6,953 | 6,813 | #62 |
| 2001 | 17 | #6,538 | 6,646 | #61 |
| 2000 | 14 | #7,462 | 6,797 | #61 |
| 1995 | 13 | #6,915 | 5,203 | #73 |
| 1990 | 17 | #5,465 | 4,348 | #86 |
| 1985 | 25 | #3,481 | 4,004 | #77 |
| 1980 | 28 | #3,111 | 3,492 | #86 |
| 1975 | 30 | #2,596 | 1,957 | #131 |
| 1970 | 11 | #4,973 | 1,136 | #218 |
| 1965 | 13 | #3,678 | 1,071 | #223 |
| 1960 | 8 | #5,052 | 1,146 | #239 |
| 1955 | 13 | #3,332 | 1,334 | #195 |
| 1950 | 13 | #3,001 | 1,223 | #182 |
| 1945 | — | — | 853 | #181 |
| 1940 | 11 | #2,683 | 833 | #176 |
| 1935 | 7 | #3,653 | 747 | #180 |
| 1930 | 7 | #3,939 | 754 | #185 |
| 1925 | 10 | #3,295 | 810 | #178 |
| 1920 | — | — | 837 | #166 |
| 1915 | 5 | #4,770 | 554 | #197 |
| 1910 | — | — | 232 | #139 |
| 1905 | — | — | 117 | #168 |
| 1900 | — | — | 118 | #179 |
| 1895 | — | — | 72 | #201 |
| 1890 | — | — | 75 | #178 |
| 1885 | — | — | 54 | #224 |
| 1880 | — | — | 60 | #205 |
Famous people named Nathaniel
- Nathaniel Hawthorne Writer · 1804–1864
- Nathaniel Palmer Explorer · 1799–1877
- Nathaniel Lord Britton Biologist · 1859–1934
- Nathaniel Bliss Astronomer · 1700–1764
- Nathaniel Wallich Biologist · 1786–1854
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Nathaniel mean?
Modification, under influence of Daniel, of Nathanael, from Ancient Greek Ναθαναήλ (Nathanaḗl), from Biblical Hebrew נְתַנְאֵל (Netan'el, literally “God has given”).
How popular is the name Nathaniel in 2025?
Nathaniel ranked #140 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 2,565 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Nathaniel?
288,265 babies have been named Nathaniel in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Nathaniel most popular?
Nathaniel peaked in 2002, when 6,829 newborns received the name.
Is Nathaniel a boy or girl name?
Nathaniel is overwhelmingly a boy's name — 100% of babies with the name.
Is the name Nathaniel rising or falling?
Nathaniel is declining — less popular now than a decade ago.
Who are famous people named Nathaniel?
Well-known people named Nathaniel include Nathaniel Hawthorne (writer), Nathaniel Palmer (explorer), Nathaniel Lord Britton (biologist).