Declining since 2009, #5,861 for boys today.
Popularity of Nataniel since 1977
Babies named Nataniel per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1970s | 10 |
| 1980s | 56 |
| 1990s | 115 |
| 2000s | 203 |
| 2010s | 187 |
| 2020s | 99 |
Meaning & origin
Nataniel is an uncommon but enduring variant of Nathaniel, first recorded in U.S. data in 1977. Its popularity peaked in 2008, after which it entered a gradual decline, ranking 5,861 in 2025 with approximately 1 in 113,872 male births. The name has never cracked the top 500 and remains a quiet choice for parents seeking a traditional, biblical name with a distinctive spelling. Unlike the more common Nathaniel, Nataniel offers a closer phonetic match to the Hebrew original. It has not been associated with any top states, reflecting its broad but thin dispersion across the country.
Nataniel is a Hebrew name from "natan" (he gave) and "El" (God), thus meaning "God has given." It is a variant of Nathaniel, borne in the New Testament as one of the twelve apostles. The spelling Nataniel reflects a direct transliteration from Hebrew and is used across various cultures, especially in Portuguese-speaking countries and among Jewish communities.
“Nataniel” around the world
Where Nataniel lands in the latest official birth statistics abroad, matched to the U.S. spelling.
France
10
babies in 2024
Ireland
3
babies in 2025
Sources: INSEE (France) · CSO Ireland (Ireland).
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Nat, Nate, Nati, Tan
Sibling names for Nataniel
Names that share Nataniel's style, for a brother or sister.
