Nate is a boy name with a rare feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Nate means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Nate across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Nate has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Nate is a boy name of Hebrew origin meaning “gift of God”. A short form of Nathan or Nathaniel.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 4,791 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 1,995 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 124 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 15 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 49 births |
| New Zealand top 100, since 1954 | 48 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Nate per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 2007 (181/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 2020 (147/yr) · Scotland peaked in 2021 (13/yr) · Ireland peaked in 2021 (8/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 2017 (3/yr).
Nate is an uncommon baby name in the United States. It was most common in 2007, when it ranked #2,357 nationally (given to 209 babies that year).
Nettie · Nita · Neta · Nat · Nettye · Notie · Natoya · Knute
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