Meaning not yet researched.
Nathaniel: US boys given the name each year, 1880 to 2025, from Social Security card applications. 2,565 in 2025. Its best rank was #60 in 1998.
US births per year · SSA card applications
Peaked at #60 in 1998; #140 in 2025. Every baby recorded as Nathaniel in 2025 was a boy.
Baby name · US data 1880–2025
#140 for US boys in 2025. Its best year was 1998, at #60.
Hover, tap or use the arrow keys for any year. Years with fewer than five babies of a sex are not published by SSA and show as zero.
Nathaniel: US boys given the name each year from 1880 to 2025. 2,565 boys in 2025. Peak: #60 in 1998 · most boys in one year: 6,813 (2002).
In 2025, 2,565 US boys were named Nathaniel, making it the 140th most common boys’ name of the year, up 4 places from #144 in 2024. That is 45 more than the 2,520 boys named Nathaniel in 2024. Its best rank for boys was #60, reached in 1998. The most boys given the name in a single year was 6,813, in 2002. For comparison, it was #97 in 2015 and #182 in 1950.
Social Security card records list Nathaniel in every one of the 146 years from 1880 to 2025; in 1880 there were 60 babies with the name. In all, 288,265 US babies have been given the name, 0.4% of them girls and 99.5% boys. Its busiest decade was the 2000s, with 64,392 babies named Nathaniel.
Over the 10 years from 2016 to 2025, 30,004 US boys were named Nathaniel; the busiest of those years was 2016, with 3,887. In 2025 that was about 1 in 666 of the boys in SSA’s list for the year.
Among the states, Nathaniel ranked highest in District of Columbia in 2025, at #71 for boys there. It was in the top 100 in 3 states (counting DC). Related spellings in the SSA files include Nathanael (22,244 babies since 1880), Nathanial (10,578 babies since 1880) and Natanael (2,557 babies since 1880). Rarer spellings such as Nathaneal, Nathanel and Nataniel are summarised on this page. The open nickname list we use links it to Nat, Nate, Nathan, Natty and Than.
Meaning not yet researched.
We publish a meaning only with a cited source and a confidence label, and never generate one. Meanings are being researched for the most common names first.
Rare spellings summarised here: Nathaneal (908), Nathanel (885), Nataniel (670), Netanel (456), Nathaneil (429), Natanel (256), Nathanyel (245), Nathanal (209), Nathanuel (200), Nathanyal (134), Nathanyl (103), Nathainel (48), and more.
Numbers are all-time US births. Links come from Wikidata’s “said to be the same as” (P460, CC0) and our spelling rule: at most two letters different, with the same sound pattern.
US boys. Rank within each state. SSA leaves out states where fewer than five boys got the name, so 4 are not listed.
| State | Births 2025 | Rank 2025 | Rank 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 12 | #71 | #66 |
| California | 453 | #81 | #77 |
| Maryland | 60 | #95 | #102 |
| New Jersey | 85 | #113 | #81 |
| South Carolina | 46 | #114 | #125 |
| Texas | 335 | #118 | #101 |
| North Carolina | 101 | #120 | #93 |
| Connecticut | 30 | #127 | #95 |
| Massachusetts | 55 | #129 | #61 |
| Virginia | 68 | #131 | #90 |
| New Mexico | 15 | #133 | #71 |
| North Dakota | 10 | #133 | — |
| Florida | 162 | #135 | #85 |
| New York | 141 | #138 | #61 |
| Arizona | 64 | #139 | #79 |
| Montana | 10 | #140 | #126 |
| Pennsylvania | 89 | #143 | #94 |
| New Hampshire | 10 | #153 | #152 |
| Illinois | 77 | #154 | #107 |
| Nevada | 20 | #156 | #114 |
| Indiana | 53 | #157 | #114 |
| Tennessee | 62 | #158 | #100 |
| Kentucky | 34 | #162 | #99 |
| Georgia | 76 | #164 | #104 |
| Hawaii | 7 | #172 | #56 |
| Washington | 49 | #180 | #114 |
| Colorado | 39 | #180 | #115 |
| Oregon | 23 | #185 | #94 |
| Ohio | 69 | #188 | #140 |
| Alabama | 29 | #198 | #148 |
| Wisconsin | 31 | #202 | #131 |
| Louisiana | 26 | #203 | #168 |
| Oklahoma | 23 | #214 | #107 |
| Arkansas | 17 | #218 | #166 |
| Nebraska | 12 | #226 | #175 |
| Delaware | 5 | #235 | #131 |
| Maine | 5 | #258 | #106 |
| Missouri | 26 | #269 | #114 |
| Kansas | 14 | #272 | #123 |
| Minnesota | 22 | #284 | #216 |
| South Dakota | 5 | #291 | #198 |
| Idaho | 9 | #295 | #143 |
| Utah | 17 | #297 | #212 |
| Michigan | 32 | #303 | #148 |
| West Virginia | 6 | #322 | #121 |
| Iowa | 12 | #325 | #352 |
| Mississippi | 10 | #327 | #160 |
Births and national rank for each year SSA lists the name, newest first.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | — | — | 2,565 | #140 |
| 2024 | — | — | 2,520 | #144 |
| 2023 | — | — | 2,533 | #143 |
| 2022 | 6 | #14,804 | 2,706 | #138 |
| 2021 | — | — | 2,834 | #133 |
| 2020 | 6 | #14,611 | 2,930 | #125 |
| 2019 | — | — | 3,097 | #122 |
| 2018 | — | — | 3,391 | #116 |
| 2017 | — | — | 3,541 | #112 |
| 2016 | 6 | #15,672 | 3,887 | #103 |
| 2015 | — | — | 4,234 | #97 |
| 2014 | — | — | 4,317 | #94 |
| 2013 | 6 | #15,976 | 4,538 | #91 |
| 2012 | — | — | 4,795 | #84 |
| 2011 | 13 | #9,014 | 4,980 | #84 |
| 2010 | 6 | #16,377 | 5,110 | #81 |
| 2009 | 9 | #12,171 | 5,426 | #75 |
| 2008 | 8 | #13,454 | 5,858 | #77 |
| 2007 | 9 | #12,369 | 6,067 | #82 |
| 2006 | 8 | #13,260 | 6,627 | #69 |
| 2005 | 7 | #14,074 | 6,689 | #67 |
| 2004 | 35 | #4,069 | 6,675 | #68 |
| 2003 | 5 | #17,604 | 6,666 | #63 |
| 2002 | 16 | #6,953 | 6,813 | #62 |
| 2001 | 17 | #6,538 | 6,646 | #61 |
| 2000 | 14 | #7,462 | 6,797 | #61 |
| 1999 | 12 | #8,073 | 6,467 | #62 |
| 1998 | 9 | #9,869 | 6,427 | #60 |
| 1997 | 6 | #13,235 | 5,775 | #65 |
| 1996 | 7 | #11,423 | 5,420 | #69 |
| 1995 | 13 | #6,915 | 5,203 | #73 |
| 1994 | 10 | #8,590 | 5,029 | #78 |
| 1993 | 9 | #9,285 | 4,854 | #75 |
| 1992 | 13 | #6,930 | 4,687 | #79 |
| 1991 | 8 | #9,960 | 4,367 | #84 |
| 1990 | 17 | #5,465 | 4,348 | #86 |
| 1989 | 15 | #5,750 | 4,121 | #84 |
| 1988 | 22 | #4,123 | 4,054 | #81 |
| 1987 | 31 | #3,075 | 4,050 | #78 |
| 1986 | 37 | #2,661 | 4,032 | #78 |
| 1985 | 25 | #3,481 | 4,004 | #77 |
| 1984 | 26 | #3,298 | 3,600 | #80 |
| 1983 | 30 | #2,886 | 3,641 | #79 |
| 1982 | 34 | #2,745 | 3,939 | #75 |
| 1981 | 26 | #3,312 | 3,719 | #80 |
| 1980 | 28 | #3,111 | 3,492 | #86 |
| 1979 | 26 | #3,214 | 3,040 | #95 |
| 1978 | 21 | #3,598 | 2,925 | #94 |
| 1977 | 22 | #3,449 | 2,500 | #107 |
| 1976 | 8 | #7,055 | 2,209 | #114 |
| 1975 | 30 | #2,596 | 1,957 | #131 |
| 1974 | 12 | #4,925 | 1,609 | #153 |
| 1973 | 21 | #3,201 | 1,391 | #169 |
| 1972 | 12 | #4,705 | 1,208 | #192 |
| 1971 | 15 | #4,069 | 1,210 | #200 |
| 1970 | 11 | #4,973 | 1,136 | #218 |
| 1969 | 17 | #3,419 | 991 | #231 |
| 1968 | 11 | #4,409 | 921 | #235 |
| 1967 | 10 | #4,525 | 976 | #226 |
| 1966 | 13 | #3,689 | 903 | #235 |
| 1965 | 13 | #3,678 | 1,071 | #223 |
| 1964 | 8 | #5,323 | 1,023 | #238 |
| 1963 | 6 | #6,376 | 1,026 | #233 |
| 1962 | 8 | #5,161 | 1,085 | #234 |
| 1961 | 10 | #4,453 | 1,049 | #244 |
| 1960 | 8 | #5,052 | 1,146 | #239 |
| 1959 | 11 | #3,969 | 1,159 | #235 |
| 1958 | 15 | #3,190 | 1,102 | #235 |
| 1957 | 17 | #2,899 | 1,262 | #213 |
| 1956 | 11 | #3,843 | 1,309 | #205 |
| 1955 | 13 | #3,332 | 1,334 | #195 |
| 1954 | 11 | #3,645 | 1,228 | #203 |
| 1953 | 12 | #3,408 | 1,267 | #193 |
| 1952 | 13 | #3,148 | 1,258 | #189 |
| 1951 | 12 | #3,236 | 1,247 | #187 |
| 1950 | 13 | #3,001 | 1,223 | #182 |
| 1949 | 8 | #4,135 | 1,192 | #179 |
| 1948 | 11 | #3,291 | 1,159 | #180 |
| 1947 | 6 | #5,134 | 1,100 | #187 |
| 1946 | 10 | #3,374 | 977 | #186 |
| 1945 | — | — | 853 | #181 |
| 1944 | 9 | #3,307 | 864 | #184 |
| 1943 | 6 | #4,549 | 839 | #191 |
| 1942 | 5 | #5,162 | 843 | #188 |
| 1941 | 5 | #4,876 | 829 | #182 |
| 1940 | 11 | #2,683 | 833 | #176 |
| 1939 | 5 | #4,751 | 770 | #183 |
| 1938 | — | — | 749 | #186 |
| 1937 | 5 | #4,739 | 703 | #187 |
| 1936 | 8 | #3,307 | 738 | #179 |
| 1935 | 7 | #3,653 | 747 | #180 |
| 1934 | 8 | #3,384 | 782 | #174 |
| 1933 | 8 | #3,326 | 728 | #178 |
| 1932 | 8 | #3,489 | 781 | #176 |
| 1931 | 5 | #4,789 | 659 | #199 |
| 1930 | 7 | #3,939 | 754 | #185 |
| 1929 | 7 | #3,942 | 760 | #184 |
| 1928 | 12 | #2,726 | 728 | #194 |
| 1927 | 10 | #3,223 | 769 | #187 |
| 1926 | 6 | #4,680 | 821 | #176 |
| 1925 | 10 | #3,295 | 810 | #178 |
| 1924 | 8 | #3,904 | 800 | #180 |
| 1923 | — | — | 721 | #193 |
| 1922 | — | — | 800 | #175 |
| 1921 | — | — | 748 | #187 |
| 1920 | — | — | 837 | #166 |
| 1919 | 7 | #4,134 | 748 | #175 |
| 1918 | — | — | 661 | #193 |
| 1917 | 6 | #4,455 | 640 | #189 |
| 1916 | — | — | 590 | #194 |
| 1915 | 5 | #4,770 | 554 | #197 |
| 1914 | — | — | 470 | #185 |
| 1913 | — | — | 337 | #201 |
| 1912 | — | — | 356 | #164 |
| 1911 | — | — | 207 | #161 |
| 1910 | — | — | 232 | #139 |
| 1909 | — | — | 143 | #172 |
| 1908 | — | — | 150 | #160 |
| 1907 | — | — | 124 | #175 |
| 1906 | — | — | 101 | #179 |
| 1905 | — | — | 117 | #168 |
| 1904 | — | — | 105 | #174 |
| 1903 | — | — | 105 | #165 |
| 1902 | — | — | 88 | #189 |
| 1901 | — | — | 92 | #165 |
| 1900 | — | — | 118 | #179 |
| 1899 | — | — | 72 | #190 |
| 1898 | — | — | 90 | #176 |
| 1897 | — | — | 43 | #276 |
| 1896 | — | — | 73 | #207 |
| 1895 | — | — | 72 | #201 |
| 1894 | — | — | 77 | #192 |
| 1893 | — | — | 58 | #224 |
| 1892 | — | — | 78 | #197 |
| 1891 | — | — | 46 | #238 |
| 1890 | — | — | 75 | #178 |
| 1889 | — | — | 48 | #236 |
| 1888 | — | — | 63 | #222 |
| 1887 | — | — | 57 | #204 |
| 1886 | — | — | 59 | #221 |
| 1885 | — | — | 54 | #224 |
| 1884 | — | — | 56 | #225 |
| 1883 | — | — | 49 | #224 |
| 1882 | — | — | 57 | #219 |
| 1881 | — | — | 48 | #221 |
| 1880 | — | — | 60 | #205 |
About the data: counts are Social Security card applications for US births, for names given to at least five babies of a sex in a year (SSA, names.zip, public domain). Ranks follow SSA’s own order: most births first, ties alphabetical. Files retrieved 2026-10-05 (checksum on our sources page).