Nathanael

Nathanael - A very unique male name

Nathanael appeared on the charts for the first time in 1968 on position #1532. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Nathanael and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Nathanael? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Nathanael. The baby boy name Nathanael was given to 396 baby boys in 2025, ranking #637 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 3,703 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Nathanael peaked in popularity 28 years ago in 1998 on position 403.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Nathanael, 1-5?

Nathanael is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Nathanael is currently topping the baby name charts in South Dakota at position #290 - and is the least popular in Illinois at position #1,104.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Nathanael is where you live.

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Nathanael origin and meaning

Hebrew, via Greek — an -ael spelling of Nathaniel

'Gift of God' — from natan, 'he gave', and El, God

Nathanael is the spelling of the name used in the New Testament for the apostle Nathanael of Cana, where Nathaniel is the Old Testament-style spelling of the same Hebrew 'God has given'. Always the rarer of the two spellings, it has risen in the last few years as biblical-name parents seek the less-used form.

Attested etymology

Nathanael is a 9 letter name with 3 syllables.

To see famous people named Nathanael, pop culture references for the name Nathanael and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Nathanael

We've found the following names that sound similar to Nathanael, sorted by popularity.

Nathaniel / Nathanial / Natanael / Netanel / Nataniel / Natanel / Nathaneal / Nathanel / Natnael / Nethaniel /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Nathanael

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Nathanael a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Nathanael?

3 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

nah-THAN-ee-el · /nəˈθæniəl/

Around the world

• Nathanaël (French) — The French spelling of the same name.
• Natanael (Spanish and Portuguese) — The Iberian spelling of the same name.

Spellings and nicknames

• Nathaniel — The more common spelling of the same name.
• Nathanel — A simplified spelling variant.

Nicknames: NateNathanNat

Famous bearers

• Nathanael — Apostle of Jesus, from Cana in Galilee, named in John's Gospel (Biblical) Historical
• Nathanael Greene — Major general of the Continental Army in the American Revolution (1742–1822) Historical

Style

BiblicalClassic

Why parents choose it

Parents pick the -ael spelling for its closer line to the New Testament text and its slight distinctiveness over Nathaniel.

Worth knowing

• Nathaniel is how nearly everyone will spell it, and at three syllables it shortens to Nate or Nathan almost automatically.