Nathaniel is a very popular boys' name that peaked in 2002 and has grown less common since.
Nathaniel is predominantly a boy name. In 2025 it ranked #140 for boy births in the United States (and #256 across all names), given to 2,565 babies — 2,573 including U.S. territories. Nathaniel first appears in 1880 and peaked in 2002 (6,813 births).
| Year | U.S. births | U.S. + territories | ♀ Rank | ♂ Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,565 | 2,573 | — | #140 |
| 2024 | 2,520 | 2,528 | — | #144 |
| 2023 | 2,533 | 2,541 | — | #143 |
| 2022 | 2,712 | 2,720 | #14,804 | #138 |
| 2021 | 2,834 | 2,849 | — | #133 |
| 2020 | 2,936 | 2,952 | #14,611 | #125 |
| 2019 | 3,097 | 3,097 | — | #122 |
| 2018 | 3,391 | 3,400 | — | #116 |
| 2017 | 3,541 | 3,550 | — | #112 |
| 2016 | 3,893 | 3,909 | #15,672 | #103 |
| 2015 | 4,234 | 4,256 | — | #97 |
| 2014 | 4,317 | 4,339 | — | #94 |
| 2013 | 4,544 | 4,556 | #15,976 | #91 |
| 2012 | 4,795 | 4,815 | — | #84 |
| 2011 | 4,993 | 5,015 | #9,014 | #84 |
| 2010 | 5,116 | 5,141 | #16,377 | #81 |
| 2009 | 5,435 | 5,463 | #12,171 | #75 |
| 2008 | 5,866 | 5,893 | #13,454 | #77 |
| 2007 | 6,076 | 6,101 | #12,369 | #82 |
| 2006 | 6,635 | 6,656 | #13,260 | #69 |
| 2005 | 6,696 | 6,732 | #14,074 | #67 |
| 2004 | 6,710 | 6,741 | #4,069 | #68 |
| 2003 | 6,671 | 6,701 | #17,604 | #63 |
| 2002 | 6,829 | 6,861 | #6,953 | #62 |
| 2001 | 6,663 | 6,697 | #6,538 | #61 |
| 2000 | 6,811 | 6,840 | #7,462 | #61 |
| 1999 | 6,479 | 6,521 | #8,073 | #62 |
| 1998 | 6,436 | 6,475 | #9,869 | #60 |
| 1997 | 5,781 | — | #13,235 | #65 |
| 1996 | 5,427 | — | #11,423 | #69 |
| 1995 | 5,216 | — | #6,915 | #73 |
| 1994 | 5,039 | — | #8,590 | #78 |
| 1993 | 4,863 | — | #9,285 | #75 |
| 1992 | 4,700 | — | #6,930 | #79 |
| 1991 | 4,375 | — | #9,960 | #84 |
| 1990 | 4,365 | — | #5,465 | #86 |
| 1989 | 4,136 | — | #5,750 | #84 |
| 1988 | 4,076 | — | #4,123 | #81 |
| 1987 | 4,081 | — | #3,075 | #78 |
| 1986 | 4,069 | — | #2,661 | #78 |
| 1985 | 4,029 | — | #3,481 | #77 |
| 1984 | 3,626 | — | #3,298 | #80 |
| 1983 | 3,671 | — | #2,886 | #79 |
| 1982 | 3,973 | — | #2,745 | #75 |
| 1981 | 3,745 | — | #3,312 | #80 |
| 1980 | 3,520 | — | #3,111 | #86 |
| 1979 | 3,066 | — | #3,214 | #95 |
| 1978 | 2,946 | — | #3,598 | #94 |
| 1977 | 2,522 | — | #3,449 | #107 |
| 1976 | 2,217 | — | #7,055 | #114 |
| 1975 | 1,987 | — | #2,596 | #131 |
| 1974 | 1,621 | — | #4,925 | #153 |
| 1973 | 1,412 | — | #3,201 | #169 |
| 1972 | 1,220 | — | #4,705 | #192 |
| 1971 | 1,225 | — | #4,069 | #200 |
| 1970 | 1,147 | — | #4,973 | #218 |
| 1969 | 1,008 | — | #3,419 | #231 |
| 1968 | 932 | — | #4,409 | #235 |
| 1967 | 986 | — | #4,525 | #226 |
| 1966 | 916 | — | #3,689 | #235 |
| 1965 | 1,084 | — | #3,678 | #223 |
| 1964 | 1,031 | — | #5,323 | #238 |
| 1963 | 1,032 | — | #6,376 | #233 |
| 1962 | 1,093 | — | #5,161 | #234 |
| 1961 | 1,059 | — | #4,453 | #244 |
| 1960 | 1,154 | — | #5,052 | #239 |
| 1959 | 1,170 | — | #3,969 | #235 |
| 1958 | 1,117 | — | #3,190 | #235 |
| 1957 | 1,279 | — | #2,899 | #213 |
| 1956 | 1,320 | — | #3,843 | #205 |
| 1955 | 1,347 | — | #3,332 | #195 |
| 1954 | 1,239 | — | #3,645 | #203 |
| 1953 | 1,279 | — | #3,408 | #193 |
| 1952 | 1,271 | — | #3,148 | #189 |
| 1951 | 1,259 | — | #3,236 | #187 |
| 1950 | 1,236 | — | #3,001 | #182 |
| 1949 | 1,200 | — | #4,135 | #179 |
| 1948 | 1,170 | — | #3,291 | #180 |
| 1947 | 1,106 | — | #5,134 | #187 |
| 1946 | 987 | — | #3,374 | #186 |
| 1945 | 853 | — | — | #181 |
| 1944 | 873 | — | #3,307 | #184 |
| 1943 | 845 | — | #4,549 | #191 |
| 1942 | 848 | — | #5,162 | #188 |
| 1941 | 834 | — | #4,876 | #182 |
| 1940 | 844 | — | #2,683 | #176 |
| 1939 | 775 | — | #4,751 | #183 |
| 1938 | 749 | — | — | #186 |
| 1937 | 708 | — | #4,739 | #187 |
| 1936 | 746 | — | #3,307 | #179 |
| 1935 | 754 | — | #3,653 | #180 |
| 1934 | 790 | — | #3,384 | #174 |
| 1933 | 736 | — | #3,326 | #178 |
| 1932 | 789 | — | #3,489 | #176 |
| 1931 | 664 | — | #4,789 | #199 |
| 1930 | 761 | — | #3,939 | #185 |
| 1929 | 767 | — | #3,942 | #184 |
| 1928 | 740 | — | #2,726 | #194 |
| 1927 | 779 | — | #3,223 | #187 |
| 1926 | 827 | — | #4,680 | #176 |
| 1925 | 820 | — | #3,295 | #178 |
| 1924 | 808 | — | #3,904 | #180 |
| 1923 | 721 | — | — | #193 |
| 1922 | 800 | — | — | #175 |
| 1921 | 748 | — | — | #187 |
| 1920 | 837 | — | — | #166 |
| 1919 | 755 | — | #4,134 | #175 |
| 1918 | 661 | — | — | #193 |
| 1917 | 646 | — | #4,455 | #189 |
| 1916 | 590 | — | — | #194 |
| 1915 | 559 | — | #4,770 | #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 |