Nathaniel sits comfortably in the UK charts at #149 in 2025 — recognisable but not overwhelming. Your child may occasionally share their name.
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UK Rank 2025
#149
US Rank #140
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About the Name Nathaniel
Nathaniel has held its ground, ranked #149 in 2025 and never far from its best of #114 in 1999 — a name with lasting rather than trend-driven appeal. The name has been a consistent presence in UK records since 1996.
Nathaniel is fairly common in the UK, so your child is very likely to be the only Nathaniel in their class.
It ranks similarly in the US at #140, suggesting broad transatlantic appeal.
⭐ Famous People Named Nathaniel
Nathaniel Parker — Nathaniel Parker is an English stage and screen actor best known for playing the lead in the BBC crime drama series The Inspector Lynley Mysteries, and Agravaine de Bois in the fourth series of Merlin.
Nathaniel Brown (footballer) — Nathaniel Brown is a German professional footballer who plays as a left-back for Bundesliga club Eintracht Frankfurt and the Germany national team.
Leslie Nathaniel — Leslie Satianathan Nathaniel is an Anglican priest.
Biographical summaries are shortened from Wikipedia and are used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence; those summaries remain available under that same licence.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the name Nathaniel
Unlikely. With around 361 UK babies named Nathaniel per year, your child will almost certainly be the only Nathaniel in their class, and possibly the only one in the whole school.
Nathaniel has been fairly steady, ranked #149 in 2025 against #148 in 2020. Its best recorded position was #114 in 1999.
Nathaniel is ranked equally in both countries at #144. Names with strong rankings in both countries tend to have broad cross-cultural appeal, working well for international families or those with ties to both nations.
Notable people named Nathaniel include: Nathaniel Parker, Nathaniel Brown (footballer) and Leslie Nathaniel. Short summaries for each appear below.
Nathaniel appears in the US top 500 at #144 in 2024 — moderately popular in America, though less so than in the UK.
361
UK babies named Nathaniel (2025)
~0.0
Expected classmates with this name (class of 28)
~0.2
In a school of 600
→ Stable
Rank change (last 5 years)
🏫 Who else is in the room?
In a typical UK class of 28, highlighted children share the name Nathaniel
Almost certainly the only Nathaniel in the class
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UK Popularity (1996–2025)
Rank and birth count · ONS official data
US Popularity (2020–2025)
Rank · SSA official data
✨ Similar names to Nathaniel
Names with a similar style — each with their own classroom story
Nathaniel Parker is an English stage and screen actor best known for playing the lead in the BBC crime drama series The Inspector Lynley Mysteries, and Agravaine de Bois in the fourth series of Merlin.
Nathaniel Bacon may refer to: Sir Nathaniel Bacon of Stiffkey, lawyer and MP for Norfolk, half-brother of Francis Bacon Nathaniel Bacon (painter), landowner and painter, nephew of Francis Bacon Nathaniel Bacon of Friston, committeeman active with the Suffolk Committees for Scandalous Ministers Nathaniel Bacon (English politician), member of parliament representing Cambridge University and Ipswich Nathaniel Bacon (Jesuit), secretary of the Society of Jesus (in Rome), 1674–1676 Nathaniel Bacon (Virginia politician) (c.