Nathan is a boy name with a modern feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Nathan means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Nathan across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Nathan has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Nathan is a boy name of Hebrew origin meaning “he gave”. a prophet in the reign of King David.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 589,271 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 46,793 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 7,353 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 2,401 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 6,817 births |
| New Zealand top 100, since 1954 | 9,311 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 Nathan per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 2004 (14,696/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 1998 (3,211/yr) · Scotland peaked in 2002 (317/yr) · Ireland peaked in 2010 (297/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 1997 (154/yr).
Nathan has been one of the most popular baby names in the United States. It was most common in 2004, when it ranked #28 nationally (given to 17,828 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 2000s.
Neithan · Nathen · Neythan · Nathanie · Nathon · Naythan · Nathyn · Nathion
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