Nathaniel
Last seen for girls in 2022 at #13,592 · #140 for boys in 2025, 2,565 births
Given to boys 99.6% of the time
- Peak · boys
- 1998 · 6,427 births
- Debut · boys
- 60 births
- In top 100 · boys
- 38 yrsof 146 years
- Total births · boys
- 287,103since 1880
Nathaniel over time
Rank among boys' names. Click any year to open it.
Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.
Show data table
| Year | girls | boys | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| rank | births | rank | births | |
| 2025 | — | #140 | 2,565 | |
| 2024 | — | #144 | 2,520 | |
| 2023 | — | #143 | 2,533 | |
| 2022 | #13,592 | 6 | #138 | 2,706 |
| 2021 | — | #133 | 2,834 | |
| 2020 | #13,453 | 6 | #125 | 2,930 |
| 2019 | — | #122 | 3,097 | |
| 2018 | — | #116 | 3,391 | |
| 2017 | — | #112 | 3,541 | |
| 2016 | #14,331 | 6 | #103 | 3,887 |
| 2015 | — | #96 | 4,234 | |
| 2014 | — | #94 | 4,317 | |
| 2013 | #14,582 | 6 | #91 | 4,538 |
| 2012 | — | #84 | 4,795 | |
| 2011 | #8,614 | 13 | #84 | 4,980 |
| 2010 | #14,959 | 6 | #81 | 5,110 |
| 2009 | #11,459 | 9 | #75 | 5,426 |
| 2008 | #12,579 | 8 | #77 | 5,858 |
| 2007 | #11,630 | 9 | #82 | 6,067 |
| 2006 | #12,420 | 8 | #69 | 6,627 |
| 2005 | #13,010 | 7 | #67 | 6,689 |
| 2004 | #3,989 | 35 | #68 | 6,675 |
| 2003 | #15,784 | 5 | #63 | 6,666 |
| 2002 | #6,698 | 16 | #62 | 6,813 |
| 2001 | #6,322 | 17 | #61 | 6,646 |
| 2000 | #7,158 | 14 | #61 | 6,797 |
| 1999 | #7,716 | 12 | #62 | 6,467 |
| 1998 | #9,260 | 9 | #60 | 6,427 |
| 1997 | #12,070 | 6 | #65 | 5,775 |
| 1996 | #10,567 | 7 | #69 | 5,420 |
| 1995 | #6,641 | 13 | #73 | 5,203 |
| 1994 | #8,122 | 10 | #78 | 5,029 |
| 1993 | #8,719 | 9 | #75 | 4,854 |
| 1992 | #6,652 | 13 | #79 | 4,687 |
| 1991 | #9,336 | 8 | #84 | 4,367 |
| 1990 | #5,286 | 17 | #86 | 4,348 |
| 1989 | #5,545 | 15 | #84 | 4,121 |
| 1988 | #4,015 | 22 | #81 | 4,054 |
| 1987 | #3,031 | 31 | #78 | 4,050 |
| 1986 | #2,620 | 37 | #78 | 4,032 |
| 1985 | #3,419 | 25 | #77 | 4,004 |
| 1984 | #3,233 | 26 | #80 | 3,600 |
| 1983 | #2,853 | 30 | #79 | 3,641 |
| 1982 | #2,704 | 34 | #74 | 3,939 |
| 1981 | #3,253 | 26 | #80 | 3,719 |
| 1980 | #3,069 | 28 | #86 | 3,492 |
| 1979 | #3,147 | 26 | #95 | 3,040 |
| 1978 | #3,512 | 21 | #94 | 2,925 |
| 1977 | #3,366 | 22 | #107 | 2,500 |
| 1976 | #6,611 | 8 | #114 | 2,209 |
| 1975 | #2,565 | 30 | #131 | 1,957 |
| 1974 | #4,720 | 12 | #153 | 1,609 |
| 1973 | #3,122 | 21 | #169 | 1,391 |
| 1972 | #4,523 | 12 | #192 | 1,208 |
| 1971 | #3,943 | 15 | #200 | 1,210 |
| 1970 | #4,761 | 11 | #218 | 1,136 |
| 1969 | #3,318 | 17 | #231 | 991 |
| 1968 | #4,222 | 11 | #235 | 921 |
| 1967 | #4,300 | 10 | #226 | 976 |
| 1966 | #3,558 | 13 | #235 | 903 |
| 1965 | #3,549 | 13 | #223 | 1,071 |
| 1964 | #5,008 | 8 | #236 | 1,023 |
| 1963 | #5,891 | 6 | #233 | 1,026 |
| 1962 | #4,865 | 8 | #234 | 1,085 |
| 1961 | #4,239 | 10 | #244 | 1,049 |
| 1960 | #4,773 | 8 | #239 | 1,146 |
| 1959 | #3,827 | 11 | #235 | 1,159 |
| 1958 | #3,085 | 15 | #235 | 1,102 |
| 1957 | #2,823 | 17 | #213 | 1,262 |
| 1956 | #3,696 | 11 | #205 | 1,309 |
| 1955 | #3,225 | 13 | #195 | 1,334 |
| 1954 | #3,490 | 11 | #203 | 1,228 |
| 1953 | #3,269 | 12 | #193 | 1,267 |
| 1952 | #3,040 | 13 | #188 | 1,258 |
| 1951 | #3,106 | 12 | #187 | 1,247 |
| 1950 | #2,909 | 13 | #182 | 1,223 |
| 1949 | #3,892 | 8 | #179 | 1,192 |
| 1948 | #3,137 | 11 | #180 | 1,159 |
| 1947 | #4,764 | 6 | #187 | 1,100 |
| 1946 | #3,217 | 10 | #186 | 977 |
| 1945 | — | #181 | 853 | |
| 1944 | #3,139 | 9 | #183 | 864 |
| 1943 | #4,196 | 6 | #191 | 839 |
| 1942 | #4,622 | 5 | #188 | 843 |
| 1941 | #4,420 | 5 | #182 | 829 |
| 1940 | #2,572 | 11 | #176 | 833 |
| 1939 | #4,250 | 5 | #183 | 770 |
| 1938 | — | #186 | 749 | |
| 1937 | #4,255 | 5 | #186 | 703 |
| 1936 | #3,103 | 8 | #179 | 738 |
| 1935 | #3,431 | 7 | #180 | 747 |
| 1934 | #3,159 | 8 | #174 | 782 |
| 1933 | #3,109 | 8 | #178 | 728 |
| 1932 | #3,274 | 8 | #176 | 781 |
| 1931 | #4,331 | 5 | #199 | 659 |
| 1930 | #3,658 | 7 | #185 | 754 |
| 1929 | #3,682 | 7 | #184 | 760 |
| 1928 | #2,623 | 12 | #193 | 728 |
| 1927 | #3,053 | 10 | #187 | 769 |
| 1926 | #4,306 | 6 | #176 | 821 |
| 1925 | #3,116 | 10 | #178 | 810 |
| 1924 | #3,665 | 8 | #179 | 800 |
| 1923 | — | #193 | 721 | |
| 1922 | — | #175 | 800 | |
| 1921 | — | #187 | 748 | |
| 1920 | — | #166 | 837 | |
| 1919 | #3,817 | 7 | #174 | 748 |
| 1918 | — | #193 | 661 | |
| 1917 | #4,083 | 6 | #189 | 640 |
| 1916 | — | #193 | 590 | |
| 1915 | #4,274 | 5 | #197 | 554 |
| 1914 | — | #185 | 470 | |
| 1913 | — | #201 | 337 | |
| 1912 | — | #163 | 356 | |
| 1911 | — | #161 | 207 | |
| 1910 | — | #139 | 232 | |
| 1909 | — | #172 | 143 | |
| 1908 | — | #159 | 150 | |
| 1907 | — | #174 | 124 | |
| 1906 | — | #177 | 101 | |
| 1905 | — | #167 | 117 | |
| 1904 | — | #174 | 105 | |
| 1903 | — | #165 | 105 | |
| 1902 | — | #189 | 88 | |
| 1901 | — | #163 | 92 | |
| 1900 | — | #176 | 118 | |
| 1899 | — | #189 | 72 | |
| 1898 | — | #175 | 90 | |
| 1897 | — | #272 | 43 | |
| 1896 | — | #206 | 73 | |
| 1895 | — | #199 | 72 | |
| 1894 | — | #192 | 77 | |
| 1893 | — | #224 | 58 | |
| 1892 | — | #196 | 78 | |
| 1891 | — | #237 | 46 | |
| 1890 | — | #178 | 75 | |
| 1889 | — | #233 | 48 | |
| 1888 | — | #221 | 63 | |
| 1887 | — | #203 | 57 | |
| 1886 | — | #220 | 59 | |
| 1885 | — | #220 | 54 | |
| 1884 | — | #221 | 56 | |
| 1883 | — | #221 | 49 | |
| 1882 | — | #217 | 57 | |
| 1881 | — | #220 | 48 | |
| 1880 | — | #200 | 60 | |
In the first year the SSA published name data, Nathaniel was already there! It came in at #200, and was given to 60 baby boys.
Quietest stretch: 1897, when fewer than 44 boys a year got the name.
Where Nathaniel is popular in 1981
- Rank in state
- Top 10
- 11–50
- 51–100
- 101–500
- 501+
- Not published
Hover or tap a state for its numbers.
- Vermont#54 · 1 in 200
- Maine#56 · 1 in 227
- District of Columbia#57 · 1 in 248
- Oregon#57 · 1 in 257
- Indiana#59 · 1 in 295
Best ever in a state: #26 in Alaska, 2000.
Show every state
| State | Rank | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vermont | #54 | 16 | 1 in 200 |
| Maine | #56 | 31 | 1 in 227 |
| District of Columbia | #57 | 32 | 1 in 248 |
| Oregon | #57 | 78 | 1 in 257 |
| Indiana | #59 | 136 | 1 in 295 |
| Nebraska | #61 | 51 | 1 in 242 |
| Wyoming | #61 | 18 | 1 in 224 |
| Idaho | #62 | 28 | 1 in 292 |
| Ohio | #62 | 246 | 1 in 328 |
| Arizona | #63 | 80 | 1 in 290 |
| Nevada | #63 | 19 | 1 in 298 |
| Washington | #67 | 96 | 1 in 331 |
| Wisconsin | #68 | 106 | 1 in 327 |
| Kentucky | #69 | 75 | 1 in 361 |
| Montana | #70 | 19 | 1 in 306 |
| Virginia | #70 | 91 | 1 in 380 |
| New Hampshire | #71 | 18 | 1 in 341 |
| New Mexico | #71 | 37 | 1 in 301 |
| Iowa | #72 | 63 | 1 in 346 |
| Kansas | #72 | 52 | 1 in 349 |
| Colorado | #73 | 66 | 1 in 361 |
| Pennsylvania | #73 | 176 | 1 in 440 |
| Alaska | #74 | 13 | 1 in 309 |
| Massachusetts | #76 | 78 | 1 in 458 |
| Michigan | #77 | 146 | 1 in 449 |
| Minnesota | #77 | 76 | 1 in 432 |
| Missouri | #77 | 92 | 1 in 398 |
| Illinois | #78 | 189 | 1 in 448 |
| Tennessee | #78 | 75 | 1 in 432 |
| Hawaii | #80 | 18 | 1 in 379 |
| West Virginia | #81 | 28 | 1 in 462 |
| Alabama | #82 | 62 | 1 in 425 |
| Arkansas | #84 | 36 | 1 in 425 |
| Connecticut | #84 | 34 | 1 in 524 |
| Florida | #85 | 127 | 1 in 496 |
| North Carolina | #85 | 84 | 1 in 450 |
| Delaware | #86 | 8 | 1 in 474 |
| Rhode Island | #86 | 10 | 1 in 571 |
| Georgia | #87 | 87 | 1 in 463 |
| New York | #92 | 196 | 1 in 579 |
| Maryland | #94 | 45 | 1 in 537 |
| North Dakota | #98 | 11 | 1 in 534 |
| Oklahoma | #100 | 45 | 1 in 523 |
| South Carolina | #101 | 43 | 1 in 491 |
| South Dakota | #103 | 10 | 1 in 542 |
| Utah | #103 | 34 | 1 in 559 |
| Louisiana | #114 | 68 | 1 in 539 |
| California | #122 | 341 | 1 in 589 |
| Mississippi | #132 | 27 | 1 in 713 |
| New Jersey | #164 | 36 | 1 in 1,179 |
| Texas | #171 | 166 | 1 in 830 |
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 Nathaniel
- 4 spots since 2024 (#144 → #140)
- 15 spots since 2020 (#125 → #140)
- 44 spots since 2015 (#96 → #140)
- Biggest jump: 97 spots in 1898 (#272 → #175)
- Biggest drop: 66 spots in 1897 (#206 → #272)
- Debuted 1880
- Peaked 1998 at #60 (6,427 births)
- Births halved by 2019, 21 yrs later
- Top 10: never
- Top 100: 38 yrs · run 1978–2015
- Top 1,000: 146 yrs · run 1880–2025
- Highest: 1 in 285 boys born in 2002 were named Nathaniel (0.35%)
- Latest: 1 in 666 boys born in 2025 (0.15%)
- Its best rank, #60 in 1998, was only 1 in 297 (0.34%) — a smaller share of a much bigger birth year
- 22.4% of all boys named Nathaniel (64,264) were born in this decade
Show by decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank | Avg rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 551 | #200 (1880) | #218 |
| 1890s | 684 | #175 (1898) | #207 |
| 1900s | 1,143 | #159 (1908) | #172 |
| 1910s | 4,795 | #139 (1910) | #180 |
| 1920s | 7,794 | #166 (1920) | #182 |
| 1930s | 7,411 | #174 (1934) | #183 |
| 1940s | 9,489 | #176 (1940) | #183 |
| 1950s | 12,389 | #182 (1950) | #204 |
| 1960s | 10,191 | #223 (1965) | #234 |
| 1970s | 19,185 | #94 (1978) | #147 |
| 1980s | 38,652 | #74 (1982) | #80 |
| 1990s | 52,577 | #60 (1998) | #73 |
| 2000s | 64,264 | #61 (2000) | #69 |
| 2010s | 41,890 | #81 (2010) | #98 |
| 2020s | 16,088 | #125 (2020) | #137 |
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.
Nathaniel in 1981
Top girls' names in 1981
Top boys' names in 1981
More about 1981
girls
1,668,060 girls got a published name in 1981; 1 in 64,156 of them was named Nathaniel, which outranked 73.3% 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).
- #3,147Zaneta27
- #3,147Zara27
- #3,147Zina27
- #3,253Nathaniel26
- #3,253Abbe26
- #3,253Aliyah26
- #3,253Asheley26
- #3,340Abagail25
- #3,340Adriann25
- #3,340Alta25
Tied with 86 names at #3,253; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.
boys
1,791,177 boys got a published name in 1981; 1 in 482 of them was named Nathaniel, which outranked 98.9% 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).
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.