Nathanael first name popularity, history and meaning

Find out how popular the first name Nathanael has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Meaning of Nathanael

A masculine given name of Hebrew origin meaning "gift of God".

Popularity of Nathanael by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Nathanael is more commonly used as a male name, with approximately 100% of people named Nathanael being male.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 367 male babies and 5 female babies born with the name Nathanael.

Yes—according to the SSA data, 5 baby girls were named Nathanael in 2023, despite it being a predominantly male name. We'd love to know why!

Year Male Count Female Count
2023 367 5
2022 323 0
2021 316 0
2020 345 0
2019 347 0
2018 337 0
2017 401 0
2016 429 0
2015 479 0
2014 476 0
2013 470 0
2012 438 0
2011 433 0
2010 475 0
2009 584 0
2008 531 0
2007 598 0
2006 594 0
2005 576 0
2004 595 0
2003 537 0
2002 539 0
2001 544 0
2000 609 0
1999 564 0
1998 600 0
1997 523 0
1996 465 0
1995 476 0
1994 404 0
1993 428 0
1992 407 0
1991 383 0
1990 356 0
1989 359 0
1988 356 0
1987 307 7
1986 394 0
1985 352 0
1984 350 0
1983 356 0
1982 369 0
1981 323 5
1980 348 0
1979 278 0
1978 262 0
1977 218 0
1976 199 0
1975 163 0
1974 103 0

The history of the first name Nathanael

The name Nathanael has its origins in the Hebrew language. It is a biblical name derived from the Hebrew words "נתן" (Natan) meaning "given" and "אל" (El) meaning "God", forming the combined meaning of "gift of God".

Nathanael is the name used in some translations of the Bible for one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ, who is also referred to as Bartholomew in other translations. He is first mentioned in the Gospel of John, where Jesus recognizes him as "an Israelite in whom there is no deceit".

The earliest recorded use of the name Nathanael dates back to ancient biblical times, appearing in the New Testament of the Bible. Apart from the apostle Nathanael, one of the first notable individuals with this name was Nathanael Durand, a French Protestant theologian and author born in 1590.

In the 17th century, Nathanael Carpenter (1589-1628) was an English writer and philosopher. Nathanael Greene (1742-1786) was a major general in the American Revolutionary War, known for his successful command in the Southern campaigns.

Nathanael West (1903-1940) was an American author and satirist, best known for his novel "The Day of the Locust". Nathanael Herreshoff (1848-1938) was a renowned American naval architect and engineer, known for his innovative yacht designs.

Nathanael Hawthorne (1804-1864) was a famous American novelist and short story writer, author of "The Scarlet Letter" and other notable works. His name was originally spelled Nathaniel, but he added the "a" to make it more distinct.

While the name Nathanael has biblical origins and historical references, it has been used across various cultures and time periods, with different spellings and variations, such as Nathaniel, Nathanial, Nathanael, or Nathanël.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Nathanael was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Nathanael, please contact us.

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Nathanael first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on October 31, 2024. http://namecensus.com/first-names/nathanael-meaning-and-history/.

"Nathanael first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/first-names/nathanael-meaning-and-history/. Accessed 31 October, 2024

Nathanael first name popularity, history and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/first-names/nathanael-meaning-and-history/.

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