Find out how popular the last name Nathaniel is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Nathaniel.

Nathaniel, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Nathaniel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nathaniel in America

Nathaniel is the 15692nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nathaniel surname appeared 1,859 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Nathaniel.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nathaniel to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Nathaniel

Nathaniel is an English surname derived from the Hebrew given name "Nathaniel", which means "God has given" or "gift of God". The name has its origins in the biblical figure Nathaniel, a follower of Jesus mentioned in the Gospel of John.

The earliest recorded use of Nathaniel as a surname dates back to the late 12th century in England. It was initially adopted as a surname by individuals who were given the name Nathaniel at birth or those who were descendants of someone with that given name.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are no records of the surname Nathaniel. However, the given name Nathaniel is mentioned, suggesting that the surname likely emerged later.

One of the earliest known historical figures with the surname Nathaniel was Sir Nathaniel Brent (c. 1573-1652), an English judge and politician who served as Warden of Merton College, Oxford, and as a Member of Parliament.

Another notable individual with the surname Nathaniel was Nathaniel Fiennes (1608-1669), an English politician and soldier who fought for the Parliamentarian cause during the English Civil War.

In the 17th century, the surname Nathaniel was also found in the New England colonies of British America. One example is Nathaniel Sylvester (c. 1610-1680), an English-born poet and physician who settled in Massachusetts Bay Colony.

The surname Nathaniel has also been associated with some notable literary figures. Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864), the renowned American novelist and short story writer, is perhaps the most famous bearer of this surname.

Another literary figure with the surname Nathaniel was Nathaniel Parker Willis (1806-1867), an American author, poet, and editor who played a significant role in the development of American literature in the 19th century.

While the surname Nathaniel has its roots in England and the United States, it has also been found in other parts of the world, likely through migration and cultural exchange. However, its origins can be traced back to the biblical figure Nathaniel and the Hebrew meaning of the name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nathaniel

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Nathaniel.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Nathaniel was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Nathaniel has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

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

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

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