Nathanael

Meaning: God has given
Origin: From Hebrew via Greek

Nicknames: Nate

Boy's name · #632 in the US (2025) · Trending

Popularity over time

Nathanael is climbing: on the charts since 1915, it is ranked #632 in 2025, with about 440 boys given the name last year. Roughly 22,000 have carried it all-time.

Across the states

See where Nathanael is more common.

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 28 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Around the world

See how Nathanael ranks in other countries and regions.

#161 in Puerto Rico (2025) · #189 in France (2025) · #357 in Ecuador (2025) · #376 in Belgium (2025) · #407 in Austria (2025) · #666 in Sweden (2025) · #778 in Switzerland (2025) · #868 in England & Wales (2025) · #915 in Netherlands (2025) · #512 in Canada (2024).

Famous Nathanaels

Nathanael West — American writer and screenwriter (1903–1940)
Nathanael Greene — American general in the American Revolutionary War (1742–1786)
Nathanaël Mbuku — Congolese international footballer who plays as a striker for Dinamo Zagreb
Nathanael Pringsheim — German botanist (1823–1894)
Nathanael Matthaeus von Wolf — Danzig physician, botanist and astronomer, Fellow of the Royal Society (1724–1784)

In stories & tradition

Nathanael — Gospel of John (Bible)
Nathanaël — The Tales of Hoffmann (musical stage work)

What Nathanaels become

Among 126 notable people named Nathanael:

Scientists & scholars appear 1.46× more often than among typical names — e.g. Nathanael Pringsheim, German botanist (1823–1894).

Spellings & nicknames

About 100 boys a year are given Nate as their full name.

Similar names: Natanael · Dorian · Nathaniel · Uriel · Raphael · Immanuel

Browse more boy names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.

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