Nathaniel
Nathaniel is an English variant of the biblical Hebrew name Nathanael. It can be a given or surname.
Meaning & Origin of Nathaniel
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Nathaniel is an English variant of the biblical Hebrew name Nathanael. It can be a given or surname.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Nathaniel
Nathaniel first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 60 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2002, when 6,813 Nathaniels were born — ranking #62 that year. As of 2026, Nathaniel ranks #149 for baby boys with 2,392 births, falling sharply (-20%). In total, more than 289K Nathaniels have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Nathaniel
Phonetically similar names — useful when Nathaniel is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Nathaniel
What does the name Nathaniel mean?
How popular is Nathaniel in 2026?
When was Nathaniel most popular?
In which U.S. states is Nathaniel most popular?
Is Nathaniel a unisex name?
What names go well with Nathaniel?
About the name Nathaniel
Nathaniel is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 289K births in the dataset. Nathaniel's peak popularity came in 2002 when it ranked #60. Use the chart and map above to compare Nathaniel's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2002 →
- Names of the 2000s →
- Names starting with "N" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
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.