Nathaniel
Boy name · #140 in 2025 · Well-known
Nathaniel ranks #140 among American boys' names as of 2025, with 2,565 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #96, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 702 boys born in 2025 was named Nathaniel.
Babies named Nathaniel per year. Source: SSA.
The 145-year story
Nathaniel first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 60 boys received the name. Its peak came in 2002, when 6,813 boys were named Nathaniel — good for #62 that year. Today's parents encounter it on its way down the popularity curve, which for many parents is exactly the appeal. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Nathaniel against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Nathaniel in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Nathaniel is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "well-known". A low score means broad familiarity: teachers will spell it right, and your child may share it with a classmate. For many families that's a feature, not a bug.
Where Nathaniel is most common
Geography matters for names, and Nathaniel is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Nathaniel is most common in DC (4.7 per 1,000), ND (3 per 1,000), MT (2.7 per 1,000), MD (2.6 per 1,000), CA (2.6 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 1.7 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Nathaniel is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Nicknames & related forms of Nathaniel
Nathaniel carries a whole family of nicknames and spellings — names that will feel like the same name in a classroom.
Counted as one name, the Nathaniel family went to about 2,658 boys in 2025 — together they'd rank around #137, versus #140 for Nathaniel alone.
Names like Nathaniel
Statistically, parents drawn to Nathaniel tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Emmanuel, Miguel, Nicolas, Gabriel, and Rafael.
EmmanuelMiguelNicolasGabrielRafaelAlejandroChristianNicholas
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Nathaniel | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,565 | #140 |
| 2024 | 2,520 | #144 |
| 2023 | 2,533 | #143 |
| 2022 | 2,706 | #138 |
| 2021 | 2,834 | #133 |
| 2020 | 2,930 | #125 |
| 2019 | 3,097 | #122 |
| 2018 | 3,391 | #116 |
| 2017 | 3,541 | #112 |
| 2016 | 3,887 | #103 |
| 2015 | 4,234 | #96 |
| 2014 | 4,317 | #94 |
| 2013 | 4,538 | #91 |
| 2012 | 4,795 | #84 |
| 2011 | 4,980 | #84 |
| 2010 | 5,110 | #81 |
| 2009 | 5,426 | #75 |
| 2008 | 5,858 | #77 |
| 2007 | 6,067 | #82 |
| 2006 | 6,627 | #69 |
| 2005 | 6,689 | #67 |
| 2004 | 6,675 | #68 |
| 2003 | 6,666 | #63 |
| 2002 | 6,813 | #62 |
| 2001 | 6,646 | #61 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Nathaniel a popular boy name?
Nathaniel ranked #140 among boys in 2025 with 2,565 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #96.
When was the name Nathaniel most popular?
Nathaniel peaked in 2002, when 6,813 American boys received the name (ranked #62 that year). Since 2002 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Nathaniel?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 702 newborn American boys was named Nathaniel. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "well-known".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.