Nathaneil
A masculine Hebrew name meaning "gift of God" or "God has given".
Name Census estimates that about 394 living Americans carry the first name Nathaneil. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Nathaneil today is around 36 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Nathaneil births was 2003 (13 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Nathaneil. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
394
~ 1 in 869,935 Americans
Peak year
2003
13 babies that year
Average age
36
years old
2014 SSA rank
#13,434
Tracked since 1930
Popularity
Nathaneil: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Nathaneil from the 1930s through to the 2010s, spanning 9 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 109 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Nathaneil by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Nathaneil during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Nathaneil
The name Nathaneil has its origins in the Hebrew language, derived from the combination of two words: "Natan" meaning "given" and "El" meaning "God." It can be translated as "gift of God" or "God has given." The name dates back to ancient times, with its earliest recorded use found in the Hebrew Bible.
One of the most notable biblical figures bearing this name is Nathanael, mentioned in the Gospel of John as one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ. In the Gospel narrative, Nathanael is introduced as a man from Cana in Galilee, and upon his first encounter with Jesus, he is praised for being a man "in whom there is no guile."
During the Middle Ages, the name Nathaneil gained popularity in various European countries, particularly in England and France. One of the earliest recorded individuals with this name was Nathaneil Bacon (1642-1676), a wealthy planter and leader of Bacon's Rebellion in colonial Virginia.
In later centuries, the name continued to be used, though with varying spellings such as Nathaniel, Nathan, and Nathanael. Notable figures include Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864), the renowned American novelist best known for his works "The Scarlet Letter" and "The House of the Seven Gables."
Another prominent individual was Nathaniel Woodard (1811-1891), an Anglican priest and educator who founded several schools in England, including the Woodard Schools. In the field of science, Nathaniel Bowditch (1773-1838) made significant contributions as an American mathematician, navigator, and astronomer.
The name Nathaneil has also been borne by several notable individuals in more recent history, such as Nathaniel Niles (1741-1828), a member of the Continental Congress and a judge in Vermont, and Nathaniel Fick (born 1976), a former United States Marine Corps officer and author.
Throughout its history, the name Nathaneil has maintained its connection to its Hebrew roots, conveying a sense of divine gift or blessing. While its popularity has fluctuated over time, it has remained a prominent name across various cultures and eras.
People
Nathaneil + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Nathaneil as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with N
Other first names starting with N with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Nathaneil: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Nathaneil?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 394 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Nathaneil going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 869,935 US residents.
Is Nathaneil a common name?
We classify Nathaneil as "Very Rare". It ranks above 82.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 429 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Nathaneil most popular?
The single biggest year for Nathaneil was 2003, when 13 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Nathaneil is about 36 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Nathaneil a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Nathaneil in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.