Nathan

#14,942 for girls in 2025, 5 births · #63 for boys in 2025, 4,975 births
Given to boys 99.7% of the time

Showing
Show data for
Peak · boys
2004 · 14,634 births
Debut · boys
114 births
In top 100 · boys
54 yrs
of 146 years
Total births · boys
587,497
since 1880

Nathan over time

boys

Rank among boys' names. Click any year to open it.

#1#10#100rank188019001920194019601980200020201981peak #20, 2004boys
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.

Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.

Show data table
Yeargirlsboys
rankbirthsrankbirths
2025#14,9425#634,975
2024#11,1228#625,029
2023—#595,073
2022#13,5926#575,544
2021#13,4646#595,432
2020—#555,702
2019—#556,090
2018#9,80610#486,850
2017#11,6158#457,442
2016#14,3316#438,000
2015#10,8669#388,600
2014#10,9559#388,997
2013#11,0009#319,721
2012#7,45616#2910,431
2011#9,72311#2810,523
2010#11,2469#2711,380
2009#7,34117#2512,135
2008#8,52914#2113,262
2007#7,09218#2413,605
2006#5,90622#2314,278
2005#4,26732#2014,365
2004#2,65262#2014,634
2003#4,80426#2613,667
2002#4,28029#2813,224
2001#6,06718#3112,647
2000#6,80815#3013,040
1999#5,42419#3212,538
1998#9,2609#3411,586
1997#6,16315#3410,442
1996#4,30624#3710,287
1995#5,01919#3910,306
1994#3,30234#4010,386
1993#3,87727#4110,199
1992#4,84920#4410,154
1991#3,72228#4210,500
1990#4,00325#4410,934
1989#2,61843#4310,904
1988#2,44744#4410,154
1987#1,86062#459,910
1986#1,80263#439,996
1985#1,42489#4010,653
1984#1,55073#3810,614
1983#1,37986#4010,557
1982#1,65369#3610,805
1981#1,66369#3611,256
1980#1,55275#3611,138
1979#1,73163#3710,719
1978#1,76558#369,890
1977#2,06346#369,886
1976#1,99644#398,611
1975#2,23237#457,069
1974#2,61628#525,844
1973#2,83024#634,734
1972#2,74725#793,512
1971#3,50818#1043,047
1970#4,49212#1302,545
1969#4,19812#1541,908
1968#3,78913#1631,654
1967#5,4577#1801,432
1966—#1791,422
1965#4,8318#1811,417
1964—#1881,500
1963#6,5925#1941,540
1962—#1981,532
1961#4,8828#1991,489
1960#5,1687#1901,630
1959#4,3009#2071,378
1958#3,74711#2141,237
1957#6,0865#2151,225
1956—#2221,099
1955#5,2086#232950
1954—#225959
1953—#237806
1952—#229851
1951—#222870
1950—#243751
1949—#251660
1948—#263620
1947—#273617
1946—#271557
1945—#267488
1944—#262507
1943#4,6915#244581
1942—#253523
1941—#243527
1940—#243497
1939#3,4297#246468
1938—#232515
1937—#258434
1936—#243464
1935—#248468
1934—#245469
1933—#259413
1932—#243486
1931#3,4977#258442
1930#4,0476#234540
1929#3,1379#239513
1928—#235548
1927#3,8757#210636
1926—#206669
1925#4,9735#219615
1924—#204680
1923—#187739
1922#5,0095#185749
1921#4,0237#186751
1920—#172815
1919—#156849
1918—#150945
1917#4,0836#148881
1916—#143904
1915#3,7956#139916
1914—#124848
1913—#127615
1912—#120581
1911—#108348
1910—#135245
1909—#128209
1908—#137178
1907—#136176
1906—#139148
1905—#130168
1904—#148131
1903—#128146
1902—#135143
1901—#127131
1900—#125186
1899—#141112
1898—#16699
1897—#119139
1896—#150110
1895—#136119
1894—#125127
1893—#131114
1892—#118144
1891—#130106
1890—#130110
1889—#116121
1888—#123129
1887—#124106
1886—#114136
1885—#132103
1884—#140100
1883—#13293
1882—#124113
1881—#13691
1880—#115114
First appearance
1880

In the first year the SSA published name data, Nathan was already there! It came in at #115, and was given to 114 baby boys.


Quietest stretch: 1880–1891, when fewer than 140 boys a year got the name.

Where Nathan is popular in 1981

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: #42 for boys · 30 births · 1 in 134 boysAKMaine: #21 for boys · 100 births · 1 in 70 boysMEVermont: #16 for boys · 58 births · 1 in 55 boysVTNew Hampshire: #27 for boys · 78 births · 1 in 79 boysNHWashington: #32 for boys · 289 births · 1 in 110 boysWAIdaho: #25 for boys · 103 births · 1 in 79 boysIDMontana: #19 for boys · 85 births · 1 in 68 boysMTNorth Dakota: #10 for boys · 106 births · 1 in 55 boysNDMinnesota: #19 for boys · 471 births · 1 in 70 boysMNIllinois: #37 for boys · 530 births · 1 in 160 boysILWisconsin: #24 for boys · 456 births · 1 in 76 boysWIMichigan: #34 for boys · 584 births · 1 in 112 boysMINew York: #65 for boys · 319 births · 1 in 356 boysNYMassachusetts: #40 for boys · 221 births · 1 in 162 boysMARhode Island: #36 for boys · 42 births · 1 in 136 boysRIOregon: #25 for boys · 240 births · 1 in 84 boysORNevada: #40 for boys · 39 births · 1 in 145 boysNVWyoming: #28 for boys · 44 births · 1 in 91 boysWYSouth Dakota: #22 for boys · 80 births · 1 in 68 boysSDIowa: #17 for boys · 355 births · 1 in 61 boysIAIndiana: #24 for boys · 444 births · 1 in 90 boysINOhio: #35 for boys · 657 births · 1 in 123 boysOHPennsylvania: #40 for boys · 537 births · 1 in 144 boysPANew Jersey: #121 for boys · 47 births · 1 in 903 boysNJConnecticut: #55 for boys · 63 births · 1 in 283 boysCTCalifornia: #46 for boys · 940 births · 1 in 214 boysCAUtah: #12 for boys · 307 births · 1 in 62 boysUTColorado: #32 for boys · 222 births · 1 in 107 boysCONebraska: #27 for boys · 151 births · 1 in 82 boysNEMissouri: #32 for boys · 348 births · 1 in 105 boysMOKentucky: #33 for boys · 218 births · 1 in 124 boysKYWest Virginia: #36 for boys · 99 births · 1 in 131 boysWVVirginia: #38 for boys · 226 births · 1 in 153 boysVAMaryland: #48 for boys · 110 births · 1 in 220 boysMDDelaware: #63 for boys · 12 births · 1 in 316 boysDEArizona: #38 for boys · 157 births · 1 in 148 boysAZNew Mexico: #35 for boys · 79 births · 1 in 141 boysNMKansas: #26 for boys · 204 births · 1 in 89 boysKSArkansas: #32 for boys · 113 births · 1 in 135 boysARTennessee: #36 for boys · 214 births · 1 in 151 boysTNNorth Carolina: #47 for boys · 178 births · 1 in 213 boysNCSouth Carolina: #54 for boys · 83 births · 1 in 254 boysSCDistrict of Columbia: #51 for boys · 40 births · 1 in 199 boysDCOklahoma: #37 for boys · 158 births · 1 in 149 boysOKLouisiana: #57 for boys · 136 births · 1 in 270 boysLAMississippi: #57 for boys · 77 births · 1 in 250 boysMSAlabama: #46 for boys · 122 births · 1 in 216 boysALGeorgia: #44 for boys · 179 births · 1 in 225 boysGAHawaii: #33 for boys · 48 births · 1 in 142 boysHITexas: #45 for boys · 636 births · 1 in 217 boysTXFlorida: #55 for boys · 221 births · 1 in 285 boysFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · boys
  1. North Dakota#10 · 1 in 55
  2. Utah#12 · 1 in 62
  3. Vermont#16 · 1 in 55
  4. Iowa#17 · 1 in 61
  5. Montana#19 · 1 in 68

Best ever in a state: #7 in Utah, 1995.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
North Dakota#101061 in 55
Utah#123071 in 62
Vermont#16581 in 55
Iowa#173551 in 61
Minnesota#194711 in 70
Montana#19851 in 68
Maine#211001 in 70
South Dakota#22801 in 68
Indiana#244441 in 90
Wisconsin#244561 in 76
Idaho#251031 in 79
Oregon#252401 in 84
Kansas#262041 in 89
Nebraska#271511 in 82
New Hampshire#27781 in 79
Wyoming#28441 in 91
Arkansas#321131 in 135
Colorado#322221 in 107
Missouri#323481 in 105
Washington#322891 in 110
Hawaii#33481 in 142
Kentucky#332181 in 124
Michigan#345841 in 112
New Mexico#35791 in 141
Ohio#356571 in 123
Rhode Island#36421 in 136
Tennessee#362141 in 151
West Virginia#36991 in 131
Illinois#375301 in 160
Oklahoma#371581 in 149
Arizona#381571 in 148
Virginia#382261 in 153
Massachusetts#402211 in 162
Nevada#40391 in 145
Pennsylvania#405371 in 144
Alaska#42301 in 134
Georgia#441791 in 225
Texas#456361 in 217
Alabama#461221 in 216
California#469401 in 214
North Carolina#471781 in 213
Maryland#481101 in 220
District of Columbia#51401 in 199
South Carolina#54831 in 254
Connecticut#55631 in 283
Florida#552211 in 285
Louisiana#571361 in 270
Mississippi#57771 in 250
Delaware#63121 in 316
New York#653191 in 356
New Jersey#121471 in 903

Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the boys born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.

See more about Nathan
Momentum · boys
Holding steady
  • 1 spot since 2024 (#62 → #63)
  • 8 spots since 2020 (#55 → #63)
  • 25 spots since 2015 (#38 → #63)
  • Biggest jump: 31 spots in 1897 (#150 → #119)
  • Biggest drop: 47 spots in 1898 (#119 → #166)
Rise & fade · boys
124 yrs to peak
  • Debuted 1880
  • Peaked 2004 at #20 (14,634 births)
  • Births halved by 2018, 14 yrs later
Top of the charts · boys
Top 100 for 54 yrs
  • Top 10: never
  • Top 100: 54 yrs · run 1972–2025
  • Top 1,000: 146 yrs · run 1880–2025
Share of babies · boys
1 in 136
  • Highest: 1 in 136 boys born in 2004 were named Nathan (0.74%)
  • Latest: 1 in 343 boys born in 2025 (0.29%)
Era · boys
The 2000s
  • 23.0% of all boys named Nathan (134,857) were born in this decade
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1880s1,106#114 (1886)#126
1890s1,180#118 (1892)#135
1900s1,616#125 (1900)#133
1910s7,132#108 (1911)#135
1920s6,715#172 (1920)#204
1930s4,699#232 (1938)#247
1940s5,577#243 (1941)#257
1950s10,126#207 (1959)#225
1960s15,524#154 (1969)#183
1970s65,857#36 (1978)#62
1980s105,987#36 (1981)#40
1990s107,332#32 (1999)#39
2000s134,857#20 (2004)#25
2010s88,034#27 (2010)#38
2020s31,755#55 (2020)#59

All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 boys in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.

Nathan in 1981

girls
#1,663
69 births · 1 in 24,175 girls
boys
#36
11,256 births · 1 in 159 boys

Top girls' names in 1981

  1. #1Jennifer57,046
  2. #2Jessica42,531
  3. #3Amanda34,372
  4. #4Sarah28,175
  5. #5Melissa28,005
  6. #6Amy20,345
  7. #7Nicole20,310
  8. #8Stephanie20,212
  9. #9Elizabeth20,168
  10. #10Heather17,946
  11. #1,663Nathan69

Top boys' names in 1981

  1. #1Michael68,750
  2. #2Christopher50,221
  3. #3Matthew43,330
  4. #4Jason41,927
  5. #5David40,629
  6. #6Joshua39,024
  7. #7James38,283
  8. #8John34,868
  9. #9Robert34,395
  10. #10Daniel30,985
  11. #36Nathan11,256
More about 1981

girls

1,668,060 girls got a published name in 1981; 1 in 24,175 of them was named Nathan, which outranked 86.4% of the 12,198 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 17.3% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Nathan
  1. #1,641Season70
  2. #1,641Sybil70
  3. #1,641Teressa70
  4. #1,663Nathan69
  5. #1,663Amity69
  6. #1,663Benjamin69
  7. #1,663Blaire69
  8. #1,674Anissa68
  9. #1,674Cassi68
  10. #1,674Cassondra68

Tied with 10 names at #1,663; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1980
Risers
  1. ↑ 3,850Tashina#4,743 → #893
  2. ↑ 2,742Krystle#3,215 → #473
  3. ↑ 1,800Tierra#2,342 → #542
  4. ↑ 1,398Martine#2,189 → #791
  5. ↑ 999Nereida#1,981 → #982
Fallers
  1. ↓ 764Kylene#990 → #1,754
  2. ↓ 607Renada#708 → #1,315
  3. ↓ 560Ashanti#822 → #1,382
  4. ↓ 399Renata#336 → #735
  5. ↓ 395Tracee#959 → #1,354

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

boys

1,791,177 boys got a published name in 1981; 1 in 159 of them was named Nathan, which outranked 99.5% of the 7,289 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 23.6% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Nathan
  1. #33Mark13,542
  2. #34Scott12,719
  3. #35Paul11,776
  4. #36Nathan11,256
  5. #37Jesse10,443
  6. #38Patrick10,384
  7. #39Stephen10,302
Biggest movers since 1980
Risers
  1. ↑ 1,321Marchello#2,162 → #841
  2. ↑ 1,104Skylar#2,058 → #954
  3. ↑ 816Kellen#1,432 → #616
  4. ↑ 499Marcello#1,291 → #792
  5. ↑ 456Tyrel#1,089 → #633
Fallers
  1. ↓ 306Kenyatta#871 → #1,177
  2. ↓ 284Seneca#718 → #1,002
  3. ↓ 247Kimberly#989 → #1,236
  4. ↓ 216Chadd#927 → #1,143
  5. ↓ 214Levar#911 → #1,125

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

See the top 100 for 1981 →