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Name Lineage

    The first name Nathanael

    A boy’s name from Hebrew meaning “god has given”.

    3 syllables Male

    Meaning and origin

    Hebrew origin

    Nathanael means “god has given” in Hebrew.

    From Ancient Greek Ναθαναήλ (Nathanaḗl), from Biblical Hebrew נְתַנְאֵל (Netan'el, literally “God has given”).

    More names that mean gift.

    From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

    Popularity

    Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025

    In 2025, 37 boys were named Nathanael, making it the 856th most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 2013, with 75 births (#500).

    04080 1996200020052010201520202025
    1,481
    babies named Nathanael, 1996–2025
    #856
    rank in 2025
    2013
    peak year

    Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Nathanael with other names.

    Popularity in the United States

    Babies named Nathanael at birth, 1880–2025

    In 2025, 442 boys born in the United States were named Nathanael, the 632nd most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 2000, when 609 were.

    0350700 188018851890189519001905191019151920192519301935194019451950195519601965197019751980198519901995200020052010201520202025
    22,244
    babies named Nathanael since 1880
    #632
    rank in 2025
    2000
    peak year

    US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.

    Nathanael in other languages

    Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary

    Nathanaël
    French
    Ναθαναήλ
    Nathanaḯl
    Greek

    Nicknames and spellings

    Nicknames for Nathanael

    Famous people named Nathanael

    9 on Wikidata, most written-about first

    • 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, born 2002
    • Nathanael Pringsheim
      German botanist (1823-1894)
    • Nathanael Matthaeus von Wolf
      Astronomer and botanist (1724-1784)
    • Nathanael of Ohrid
      Bulgarian cleric, writer and revolutionary, 1820–1906
    • Nathanael Greene Herreshoff
      American naval architect (1848–1938)
    • Nathaniel Gottfried Leske
      German natural scientist and geologist (1751-1786)
    • Nate Bargatze
      American comedian, born 1979

    More Hebrew boys’ names

    All 346 names of Hebrew origin

    Questions

    What does the name Nathanael mean?
    Nathanael means “god has given” in Hebrew.
    What is the origin of the name Nathanael?
    From Ancient Greek Ναθαναήλ (Nathanaḗl), from Biblical Hebrew נְתַנְאֵל (Netan'el, literally “God has given”).
    How popular is the name Nathanael?
    In 2025, 37 boys born in England and Wales were named Nathanael, ranking 856th. Its peak was 2013, with 75 births.
    What are nicknames for Nathanael?
    Common nicknames for Nathanael include Nate, Nat.
    Is Nathanael a boy's or a girl's name?
    Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 22,244 US babies named Nathanael since 1880 were boys.
    When was Nathanael most popular?
    2000 in the United States, when 609 babies were named Nathanael, its highest rank at 408th.