The meaning of the name “Nathan” is: “He Gave; God will give”.
Additional information: The name Nathan is of Hebrew origins, taking its meaning from the Hebrew verb “to give”. It is usually said to mean “God will give” or “God has given”. In the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Bible, the name Nathan is shared by many significant figures, including the Prophet Nathan in the time of King David whom God sent to give a warning to the king.
There are at least three names thought to be related to the name Nathan. Jonathan and Nathaniel are the two which are still in common use and Elnathan is the third, a name which was popular during Biblical times but has fallen out of common usage. Short forms of Nathan include Nat, Nate, and occasionally Nath. Variations of Nathan that are used around the world include Natan and Nosson.
The popularity of the name Nathan has been high in its entire recorded history, with up and down trends during certain decades. In the US, the name was never out of the top 300 most popular boy names from 1880 to 2014, peaking at 20th most popular in 2005. In 2010, it was the top most popular boy's name in France, and in 2008 it was the 2nd most popular boy's name in Canada. In 2014, it held 28th most popular in Scotland, 29th most popular in Ireland, 13th most popular in Canada, 38th most popular in the USA, 72nd most popular in Australia, 36th most popular in Switzerland, and 52nd most popular in New Zealand, among other high ratings worldwide.
Famous people and notable individuals who have shared the name Nathan include American patriot and spy Nathan Hale, actor Nathan Fillion, pop singer Nathan Sykes, actor Nathan Kress, soccer player Nathan Ake, and hockey player Nathan Beaulieu.
The first thing you should know if you are considering Nathan for your baby's name is that in most countries all over the world the name Nathan is a boy name.
The name Nathan is of Hebrew origin, and is used in more than one countries and different languages of the world, especially English speaking countries, Hebrew speaking countries among others.
If you consider naming your baby Nathan we recommend you take note of the special meaning and history of the name as your baby’s name will play a big role in its life and your baby will hear it spoken every day. Searching for a name is a very important and fun process as it’s the very first gift you will give to your baby. Many people believe that the name can affect success in life, through their children's working career and other circumstances, so they choose more “respectable” names or name meanings as they believe that the name meaning reflects the personality of the child.
Nathan Name Meaning
The meaning of Nathan is “He Gave; God will give”. Keep in mind that many names may have different meanings in other countries and languages, so be careful that the name that you choose doesn’t mean something bad or unpleasant. Search comprehensively and find the name meaning of Nathan and its name origin or of any other name in our database. Also note the spelling and the pronunciation of the name Nathan and check the initials of the name with your last name to discover how it looks and sounds. The history and meaning of the name Nathan is fascinating, learn more about it. (If you know more meanings of the name and you would like to contribute click here to submit another name meaning).
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Name Nathan Categories
The name Nathan is in the following categories: American Names, Australian Names, Biblical Names, British Names, Canadian Names, Christian Names, English Names, Hebrew Names, Jewish Names, New Zealand Names. (If you would like to suggest one or more categories for the name, click here). We have plenty of different baby name categories to search for special meanings plus popular and unique names, search our database before choosing but also note that baby name categories designed to help you and not to be an influential factor when choosing a name. Instead, we recommend that you pay a greater attention to the origin and meaning of the name Nathan. Read our baby name articles for useful tips regarding baby names and naming your baby. If you are thinking of giving your baby the beautiful name Nathan, spread the love and share this with your friends.
Popularity of the Name Nathan
Below you will find the popularity of the baby name Nathan displayed annually, from 1880 to the present day in our name popularity chart. Hover over or click on the dots that represent a year to see how many babies were given the name for that year, for both genders, if available.
Nathan Boy Name Popularity Chart
Nathan Girl Name Popularity Chart
Note:The data above is from the Social Security Administrator of United States, (more info here) from Social Security card applications for births in US for every name, from 1880 up to the present year. The gender associated with the name might be incorrect, as the data presents the record applications without being edited for errors. The name's popularity and ranking is announced annually, so the data for this year will not be available until next year. The more babies that are given a name, the higher popularity ranking the name receives. For names with the same popularity, the tie is solved by assigning popularity rank in alphabetical order. This means that if two or more names have the same popularity their rankings may differ significantly, as they are set in alphabetical order. If a name has less than five occurrences, the SSA excludes it from the provided data to protect privacy.
If you’re not sure yet, see our wide selection of both boy names and girl names all over the world to find the ideal name for your new born baby. We offer a comprehensive and meaningful list of popular names and cool names along with the name's origin, meaning, pronunciation, popularity and additional information.
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Do your research and choose a name wisely, kindly and selflessly.
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Nathan
