ninan.org

Nathaniel

Boys' name · Millennial-era

Living in the US
~250,500 survival-weighted estimate
2025 rank
#140 among boys
Births in 2025
2,565 288,265 since 1880
Typical age
26 years, median

Nathaniel popularity over time

Nathaniel rank by birth year, 1880–2025Nathaniel ranked #200 in 1880 and #140 in 2025. Its best rank in the period was #60, in 1998.#100#140best #60 in 199818901920195019802010
Rank among US baby names by birth year, 1880–2025. Lower is more popular; the scale is logarithmic so the top of the chart is not compressed.

Nathaniel was used most in 2002, when 6,829 babies were given the name. It is present from 1880, the first year of the record. Across the record, 38 years put Nathaniel in the top 100.

As of 2025 the name sits at #140, with 2,565 births that year. The ten-year change is -39%.

Babies named Nathaniel per yearPeaks at 6,829 births in 2002.6,829 in 2002018901920195019802010
Recorded US births by year. The peak is labelled; the axis starts at zero.

How many people are named Nathaniel?

Roughly 250,500 Nathaniels are alive in the US right now. SSA has recorded 288,265 births under the name since 1880.

This is a survival-weighted estimate, not a headcount: every recorded birth year is multiplied by the chance someone born that year is still alive, using the SSA period life table. How the estimate works.

How old is the average Nathaniel?

Median age among living Nathaniels: 26. More of them were born in the 2000s than in any other decade. By the site’s era rules that makes Nathaniel a millennial-era name.

Your Nathaniel

Ages of living people named NathanielHalf of living Nathaniels are older than 26 and half younger.median 26020406080100
Estimated living bearers by age today. Each bar is a birth year, weighted by the chance someone born then is still alive.

Where Nathaniel is most common

Relative to births, District of Columbia carries 2.4× the national share of Nathaniels. New Mexico, Alaska and Connecticut follow.

Where Nathaniel is used more than average5 states use the name Nathaniel more than the national average.Alaska: 1.9× the national rateAKMaine: not over-representedMEVermont: not over-representedVTNew Hampshire: not over-representedNHWashington: not over-representedWAIdaho: not over-representedIDMontana: not over-representedMTNorth Dakota: not over-representedNDMinnesota: not over-representedMNIllinois: not over-representedILWisconsin: not over-representedWIMichigan: not over-representedMINew York: not over-representedNYOregon: not over-representedORNevada: not over-representedNVWyoming: not over-representedWYSouth Dakota: not over-representedSDIowa: not over-representedIAIndiana: not over-representedINOhio: not over-representedOHPennsylvania: not over-representedPANew Jersey: not over-representedNJConnecticut: 1.9× the national rateCTRhode Island: not over-representedRICalifornia: not over-representedCAUtah: not over-representedUTColorado: not over-representedCONebraska: not over-representedNEMissouri: not over-representedMOKentucky: not over-representedKYWest Virginia: not over-representedWVVirginia: not over-representedVAMaryland: not over-representedMDDelaware: 1.8× the national rateDEMassachusetts: not over-representedMAArizona: not over-representedAZNew Mexico: 2.0× the national rateNMKansas: not over-representedKSArkansas: not over-representedARTennessee: not over-representedTNNorth Carolina: not over-representedNCSouth Carolina: not over-representedSCDistrict of Columbia: 2.4× the national rateDCOklahoma: not over-representedOKLouisiana: not over-representedLAMississippi: not over-representedMSAlabama: not over-representedALGeorgia: not over-representedGAHawaii: not over-representedHITexas: not over-representedTXFlorida: not over-representedFL
Same as national3× or more
Location quotient, 2016–2025. Shaded states use the name more than the country does, relative to their own births. Exact figures are in the table below.
States where Nathaniel is over-represented, 2016–2025. The location quotient compares the state's share of the name with the national share.
StateBirthsvs national rate
District of Columbia 133 2.4×
New Mexico 218 2.0×
Alaska 76 1.9×
Connecticut 412 1.9×
Delaware 87 1.8×

Nathaniel in England and Wales

In England and Wales, Nathaniel ranked #149 in 2025 on 361 births.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Counts below three are suppressed by ONS.

Where the name Nathaniel comes from

Modification, under influence of Daniel, of Nathanael, from Ancient Greek Ναθαναήλ, from Biblical Hebrew נְתַנְאֵל.

Etymology summarised from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0. Wiktionary entry.

Notable people named Nathaniel

Ordered by how many Wikipedia language editions have an article about them — a measure of reach, not of importance.
NameKnown forYearsEditions
Nathaniel Hawthorne American author 1804–1864 117
Nathaniel Clyne English association football player 1991 47
Nathaniel Chalobah English footballer 1994 34
Nathaniel Lord Britton American botanist and geologist 1859–1934 28
Nathaniel Parker English actor 1962 26
Nathaniel Palmer American explorer 1799–1877 26
Nathaniel Wallich surgeon and botanist of Danish origin who worked in India 1786–1854 26
Nathaniel Bliss English astronomer 1700–1764 25
Photo credits (8)

People and dates from Wikidata (CC0), limited to those with an English Wikipedia article who are known by this name as their first name.

Related pages

Get this data

Every number on this page is available as JSON: /api/name/nathaniel.json. Free to use with attribution (CC BY 4.0).