Nathel
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly meaning "gift of God".
Name Census estimates that about 4 living Americans carry the first name Nathel. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 50.0% of registrations being female. The average person named Nathel today is around 69 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Nathel births was 1923 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Nathel. 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.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Nathel is about 69 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Nathels were born before 1967.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Nathel. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
4
~ 1 in 85,688,585 Americans
Peak year
1923
5 babies that year
Average age
69
years old
1958 SSA rank
#4,336
Tracked since 1923
Gender
Gender distribution for Nathel
Nathel is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 10 total registrations, 5 (50.0%) were male and 5 (50.0%) were female.
Nathel as a male name
- Ranked #4,336 in 1958
- 5 male births in 1958
- Peak: 1958 (5 births)
Nathel as a female name
- Ranked #5,490 in 1923
- 5 female births in 1923
- Peak: 1923 (5 births)
Popularity
Nathel: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Nathel from the 1920s through to the 1950s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1950s, with 5 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Nathel 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 Nathel 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 Nathel
Nathel is a name with a rich and intriguing history, rooted in the ancient cultures of the Middle East and North Africa. Its origins can be traced back to the Arabic language, where it is believed to be a variant of the name Nathal, derived from the root word "nathala," which means "to sprinkle" or "to scatter."
The earliest recorded use of the name Nathel can be found in ancient Arabian texts and manuscripts dating back to the 8th century CE. During this time, the name was primarily used by Arab scholars and intellectuals, who were known for their contributions to various fields, including mathematics, astronomy, and literature.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name Nathel was Nathel ibn Faris al-Ghamri, a renowned poet and scholar who lived in the 9th century CE. His works were widely celebrated for their beautiful imagery and profound insights into the human condition.
As the centuries passed, the name Nathel spread beyond the Arabian Peninsula and found its way into other regions of the Middle East and North Africa. In the 11th century, a notable figure named Nathel ibn al-Qaisi emerged as a skilled calligrapher and artist in the city of Baghdad, Iraq.
During the medieval period, the name Nathel also appeared in various historical records and texts from the Levant and North Africa. One notable bearer was Nathel al-Andalusi, a distinguished mathematician and astronomer from Muslim Spain, who lived in the 12th century CE.
In more recent times, the name Nathel has been less common, but it has still been carried by a few notable individuals. One such person was Nathel Bitar, a Lebanese-American writer and activist who played a significant role in the Arab literary renaissance of the early 20th century.
Another prominent figure was Nathel Gharzouzi, a Moroccan diplomat and politician who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Morocco in the 1970s and played a crucial role in strengthening the country's international relations.
While the name Nathel may not be as widely used today as it once was, its rich history and cultural significance continue to captivate those who appreciate the beautiful tapestry of names from around the world.
People
Nathel + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Nathel 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
Nathel: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Nathel?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 4 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Nathel 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 85,688,585 US residents.
Is Nathel a common name?
We classify Nathel as "Very Rare". It ranks above 6.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 10 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Nathel most popular?
The single biggest year for Nathel was 1923, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Nathel is about 69 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Nathel in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Nathel a female name?
Yes, 50.0% of people registered as Nathel in the SSA data are female. 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.
Is Nathel still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Nathel in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Nathel can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people share the name Nathel?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.