Baby Name Popularity Profile

Nathan

Data-driven SSA statistics, rankings, and historical trends for Nathan.

✦ He gave 🌍 Hebrew biblical traditional
National Rank (2025) #63
All-Time Peak Rank #20 Achieved 2004
Total U.S. Births 587,497 since 1880
Unisex Distribution 99.9% Boy / 0.1% Girl Overwhelmingly Male
First Recorded 1880 Last seen: 2025
Peak Decade 2000s 14,634 births in 2004
💡 The Nathan Vibe: Considered a Perennial Favorite. A historic staple that has maintained dominant national popularity for over half a century.

🌍 Meaning & Etymology

Primary Meaning He gave
Language Origin Hebrew
Origin Type single
Derived from the Hebrew verb natan meaning 'he gave'.
Common Nicknames
Nate
Alternative Spellings
Natan
Pronunciation: NAY-thun
Themes & Categories
biblical traditional
Etymology confidence: High

📖 The Story Behind Nathan

According to SSA data, Nathan achieved its highest historical rank of #20 in 2004. Its highest annual registration volume occurred in 2004 with 14,634 babies. Between 2015 and 2025, modern registrations have decreased by 42.2%. Overall, the name has maintained a ranked presence for 146 consecutive years.

📊 Factual Timeline & Current Trajectory (1880 – 2025)

Registration footprint of Nathan across 145 years of SSA data.

5-Year Trajectory Declining
10-Year Shift -42.2% Decline
18801920196020002025

📈 Popularity Milestones & Volatility

Busiest Year on Record 14,634 births in 2004
Years in Top 100 54 yrs
Years in Top 500 146 yrs
Registry Streak 146 yrs
Historical Volatility Moderately Volatile
Largest 1-Year Jump N/A
Decade-by-Decade Registration Volumes
1880s: 1,106
1890s: 1,180
1900s: 1,616
1910s: 7,132
1920s: 6,715
1930s: 4,699
1940s: 5,577
1950s: 10,126
1960s: 15,524
1970s: 65,857
1980s: 105,987
1990s: 107,332
2000s: 134,857
2010s: 88,034
2020s: 31,755

📐 Sound & Spelling Structure

Phonetic Syllables Nat-han
Letter Count 6 letters
Spelling Complexity Moderate
Length Percentile Longer than 25.7% of names
Linguistic Profile: Longer than 25.7% of SSA names. Starts with N, a letter used by only 3.6% of SSA names.

🛠️ Sibling & Surname Cadence Tool

Enter a surname or sibling name to test how it pairs with Nathan.

📍 Authentic State & Regional Rankings

Highest Ranking State Utah
Top States Utah, Alaska, New Hampshire, Nevada, Idaho
States with Data 51
State 2025 Rank Total Births Peak Year 5-Yr Velocity
Utah #122 10,320 1979 2.2% Decline
Alaska Unranked 1,455 1984 Insufficient historical volume
New Hampshire #83 3,212 1978 Insufficient historical volume
Nevada #62 3,383 2007 25.0% Decline
Idaho #95 3,596 1978 7.1% Decline
Oregon #131 7,834 1981 33.3% Decline
Washington #56 13,680 1999 +3.4% Growth
Minnesota #104 15,523 1979 Stable
Wyoming #84 1,122 1980 Insufficient historical volume
Arizona #81 10,145 2006 15.5% Decline
Vermont Unranked 1,424 1981 Insufficient historical volume
Colorado #90 9,374 1979 6.2% Decline
Maine #164 3,442 1980 Insufficient historical volume
California #40 75,337 2008 30.7% Decline
Hawaii #144 2,287 1978 Insufficient historical volume
Iowa #123 9,612 1979 10.8% Decline
Wisconsin #112 14,390 1980 8.5% Decline
Nebraska #96 5,185 1982 +4.0% Growth
North Dakota #253 2,384 1979 Insufficient historical volume
South Dakota #81 2,358 1980 Insufficient historical volume
Delaware #52 1,410 2005 Insufficient historical volume
Montana #123 2,086 1977 Insufficient historical volume
New Mexico #105 3,626 2004 36.7% Decline
Rhode Island #110 2,376 2004 Insufficient historical volume
Indiana #98 15,273 1981 +9.9% Growth
Michigan #141 23,446 2000 30.1% Decline
Florida #43 21,128 2006 +7.4% Growth
Kansas #157 6,490 1982 40.5% Decline
Texas #44 46,829 2008 4.2% Decline
Maryland #31 9,245 2005 13.0% Decline
Ohio #109 27,597 2002 11.6% Decline
Virginia #56 13,207 2004 12.3% Decline
Massachusetts #46 14,041 2004 15.8% Decline
Missouri #138 12,721 1980 +6.0% Growth
Oklahoma #75 7,361 2004 3.5% Decline
Illinois #69 26,623 2006 40.2% Decline
Connecticut #42 5,770 2007 18.8% Decline
Tennessee #95 10,957 2004 +9.4% Growth
Pennsylvania #67 27,563 2005 20.7% Decline
North Carolina #73 14,647 2008 +3.9% Growth
Kentucky #88 8,474 1981 +96.6% Growth
Arkansas #76 5,156 1980 +24.2% Growth
Georgia #88 12,923 2006 20.4% Decline
West Virginia #244 4,134 1989 Insufficient historical volume
Louisiana #116 7,422 2006 27.4% Decline
Alabama #107 7,458 2000 10.9% Decline
South Carolina #56 5,854 2004 +86.0% Growth
District of Columbia #157 1,758 1981 Insufficient historical volume
Mississippi #170 4,598 2004 34.5% Decline
New York #48 27,076 2009 8.4% Decline
New Jersey #35 8,457 2012 7.9% Decline

👨‍👩‍👧 Sibling Name Suggestions

👦 Brother Suggestions
Samuel Jayden Xavier Hunter Carlos Hayden Ethan Dylan Isaac Logan
👧 Sister Suggestions
Hannah Hailey Chloe Julia Emma Leah Maya Ava Grace Madison

🔗 Names You Might Also Like

Based on statistical similarity and shared characteristics with Nathan:

Demographic & Volume Peers
Nathen Nolan Nolen Nevin Naythan Nevan Navin Nashawn Nitin Jayden
More biblical Names
Browse all biblical names → Browse Hebrew names →

🗂️ Browse More Baby Names

Explore our name indexes and data tracks:

👦 Top Boy Names → 2-Syllable Names → 6-Letter Names → More Perennial Favorite Names → Hebrew Origin Names → biblical Names → Names Peaking in 2004 → 🗺️ Regional State Data →