Boy · #10,860 in 2026

Nathanel

Name: Popularity of the name Nathanel in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Nathanel, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

Current Rank

#10,860

Peak Rank

#2,504 (2002)

Total Babies

879

5-Yr Trend

Stable

1917

First Year

2022

Last Year

2002

Peak Year

#2504

Peak Rank

879

Total Count

Years Active

The Story of Nathanel

Nathanel first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1917, with 6 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 2002: 39 births, good for #2,504 nationwide. About 27% of every Nathanel on record arrived during the 2000s, its defining decade. Nathanel last appeared in the published SSA data in 2022, with 6 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 879 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1910s to the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Nathanel

Phonetically similar names — useful when Nathanel is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Nathanael
Methanal
National
Nathaniel
Nominal
Nathanial
Noumenal
Methanol
Mcconnell
Matinal
Nathans
Nationale

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Nathanel

What does the name Nathanel mean?

Nathanel is a boy's name that has been used in U.S. records since 1917. Behind the Name doesn't list a specific etymology, but the name has remained in use across multiple decades.

How popular is Nathanel in 2026?

In 2026, Nathanel ranks #10,860 among boys' names in the U.S., with 6 babies given the name that year.

When was Nathanel most popular?

Nathanel reached its peak popularity in 2002, ranking #2,504 that year with 39 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Nathanel most popular?

Nathanel has historically been most popular in New York, California, Texas. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Nathanel.

Is Nathanel a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Nathanel is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.

What names go well with Nathanel?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Nathanel include Aster, Roth, Tarence. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Nathanel

Nathanel is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1917 and has accumulated 879 births in the dataset. Nathanel's peak popularity came in 2002 when it ranked #2,504. Use the chart and map above to compare Nathanel's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.