Nathaniel
Hebrew Netan’el, “God has given.”
Popularity, 1880–2025
Nathaniel appears in the national records from the very first year, 1880. It has ranked among the top 100 names for American boys in every year from 1978 to 2015. Its biggest year was 2002, when 6,813 newborn boys received the name, ranking it No. 62 nationally. Its best ranking came in 1998, at No. 60. In 2025 it ranked No. 140 for boys. All told, 288,265 Americans have been given the name since 1880.
Related names
Other spellings on record: Nathanael (22,244), Nathanial (10,578), Nathaneal (908) (total births since 1880)
Explore Nathaniel interactively →By the decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 551 | No. 200 |
| 1890s | 684 | No. 175 |
| 1900s | 1,143 | No. 159 |
| 1910s | 4,795 | No. 139 |
| 1920s | 7,794 | No. 166 |
| 1930s | 7,411 | No. 174 |
| 1940s | 9,489 | No. 176 |
| 1950s | 12,389 | No. 182 |
| 1960s | 10,191 | No. 223 |
| 1970s | 19,185 | No. 94 |
| 1980s | 38,652 | No. 74 |
| 1990s | 52,577 | No. 60 |
| 2000s | 64,264 | No. 61 |
| 2010s | 41,890 | No. 81 |
| 2020s | 16,088 | No. 125 |
Births and rank shown for boys, the sex more often given the name. The Social Security Administration omits name–year combinations with fewer than five births.
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Data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby-name file, 1880–2025.