Nathaniel
2025 SSA
About Nathaniel
Nathaniel was derived from the Hebrew name Netan’el, meaning "gift of God," composed of the elements natan, meaning "to give," and ’el, in reference to God. The name is featured several times in the Old and New Testaments, typically spelled Nathanael. In the New Testament, Nathanael is also known by his other name, Bartholomew.
Although Nathan is more popular, the more dignified Nathaniel dropped out of the Top 100 for the first time since 1977 in 2016. Despite the profusion of Nat names around, Nathaniel remains singularly appealing and distinctive, with several attractive nicknames — Nat, Natty and Nate.
A boy named Nathaniel would have any number of real life and literary namesakes to inspire him. These include Revolutionary General Nathanael Greene, enslaved rebel Nat Turner, writers Nathaniel Hawthorne and Nathanael (born Nathan) West, lithographer Nathaniel Currier, partner of Ives, and singer/pianist Nat "King" Cole.
An early literary character with the name is Sir Nathaniel in Shakespeare's Love's Labour's Lost. And then there was Natty Bumpo in James Fenimore Cooper's Leatherstocking Tales, Nathaniel Winkle in Dickens's The Pickwick Papers, and later Dr. Nathaniel Branden in Atlas Shrugged.
In the realm of pop culture, we find such Nathaniels as Nate Fisher in Six Feet Under, and others in The Wire, Gossip Girl and Enchanted, as well as Pirates of the Caribbean character Nathaniel Hawk.
Pronounced nuh-THAN-yul.
As of October 2026, Nathaniel ranked #140 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #60 in 1998, Nameberry popularity #91.
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank | Births | Per million |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #94 | 4,317 | 2,247.4 |
| 2015 | #97 | 4,233 | 2,208.4 |
| 2016 | #103 | 3,884 | 2,046.6 |
| 2017 | #112 | 3,540 | 1,912.5 |
| 2018 | #116 | 3,389 | 1,866 |
| 2019 | #122 | 3,094 | 1,724.4 |
| 2020 | #125 | 2,926 | 1,695.2 |
| 2021 | #133 | 2,825 | 1,614.8 |
| 2022 | #138 | 2,700 | 1,546.4 |
| 2023 | #143 | 2,526 | 1,476.7 |
| 2024 | #144 | 2,511 | 1,457.4 |
| 2025 | #140 | 2,565 | 1,501.7 |
World rankings
Similar names
These 20 names were selected by our users looking for other names like Nathaniel.
- Gabriel
- Isaac
- Nicholas
- Alexander
- Andrew
- Daniel
- Samuel
- Isaiah
- Nathan
- Dominic
- Christopher
- Zachary
- Adam
- Caleb
- Jacob
- Julian
- Matthew
- Josiah
- Adrian
- Anthony
Nathaniel on lists
Famous Nathaniels
- Nathaniel Hawthorne
American novelist
- Nathaniel Parker Willis
American author, poet, and editor
- Nathaniel Joseph "Nate" Ruess
American singer
- Nathaniel Dwayne Hale
better known as Nate Dogg, American rapper
- Nathaniel Adams Coles
birth name of Nat King Cole, American singer
- Nathaniel Prentice Banks
American Civil War general; 24th governor of Massachusetts
- Nathaniel Macon
U.S. Senator and Speaker of the House from North Carolina
- Nathaniel Silsbee
U.S. Senator from Massachusetts
- Nathaniel Briggs Borden
U.S. Congressman from Massachusetts
- Nathaniel Brown Palmer
American sea captain and explorer
- Nathaniel Marvin "Nat" Wolff
American actor and singer,songwriter
- Nathaniel "Nate" Motte
American musician
- Nathaniel Buzolic
Australian actor
- Nathaniel Parker
English Actor
- Nathaniel Weller (b. 1985)
son of singer Paul Weller of The Jam
- Nathaniel Fraser "Nat" Magee (b. 1990)
son of actress/singer Alison Fraser and actor/comedian Rusty Magee
- Nathaniel George Caird (b. 1990)
son of actress Frances Ruffelle and John Caird
- Kenneth Nathaniel "Nathan" Bates (b. 1993)
5th child (3rd son) of the reality TV show "Bringing Up Bates" family
- Nathaniel Caesar Prats Linsangan (b. 2008)
daughter of actress Camille Prats and Anthony C. Linsangan
- Nathaniel James III (b. 2009)
son of actress Bobbi Baker and basketball player Nate James
- Nathaniel James "Nate" Alcasid (b. 2011)
son of singers Regine Velazquez and Ogie Alcasid
- Nathaniel Philip Picasso Groening (b. 2013)
son of "Simpsons" creator Matt Groening and Agustina Picasso
Nathaniel in pop culture
- Nathaniel "Nate" Fitzwilliam Archibald
main character in the "Gossip Girl" series
- Nathaniel "Nate" Gray
character in the "Infernal Devices" series
- Nathaniel "Nate" Heywood
character in DC's Legends of Tomorrow TV series
- Nathaniel Fisher
character on TV's "Six Feet Under"
- Nathanial "Nate" the Great
main character in the Nate the Great series
- Nathaniel "Baze" Basil
character on TV's "Life Unexpected"
- Nathaniel Howe
character in video game 'Dragon Age: Origins , Awakening'
- Nathaniel "Nat" Blake
character in 'Little Men' by Louisa May Alcott
- Nathaniel Northwest
character in animated series "Gravity Falls"
- Nathaniel
main character in the Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud
- Nathaniel
character in 2007 film "Enchanted"
- Nathaniel "Nath
" character in My Candy Love game and manga
- Parson Nathaniel
character in Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds
- Nathaniel Ayers
title character in 2009 film "The Soloist"
- Nathaniel "Natty" Bumppo
main character in James Fenimore Cooper's novels
- Nathaniel Dusk
DC Comics character
- Nathaniel Garro
character in tabletop game Warhammer 40,000
- Nathaniel Graison
wereleopard in the Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series by Laurell K. Hamilton
- Nathaniel Hawk
main character in the Pirates of the Caribbean video game
- Nathaniel Hawkins
character in J.L. Langley's Sci,Regency series
- Nathaniel Kent
character in John Steakley's novel "Armor"
- Nathaniel "Nathan" Montenegro
character on Filipino TV's "Walang Hanggan"
- Nathaniel Taggart
character in Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged"
- Nathaniel Taylor
character on TV's "Terra Nova"
- Sir Nathaniel
curate in Shakespeare's "Love's Labor's Lost"
- Nathaniel "Nat" Eaton
character in Elizabeth George Speare's "The Witch of Blackbird Pond"
- Nathaniel Kurtzberg
character in TV show "Miraculous Ladybug"
- Nathaniel Plimpton III
character on TV's "Crazy Ex,Girlfriend"