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The short answer
Nathanael is a masculine name used in Biblical and Biblical Greek. Behind the Name describes it this way: "From the Hebrew name נְתַנְאֵל (Neṯanʾel) meaning ‘God has given’, from the roots נָתַן (naṯan) meaning ‘to give’ and אֵל (ʾel) meaning ‘God’. It is borne by several minor characters in the Old Testament, typically spelled Nethanel or Nethaneel." It ranked #632 for boys in the United States in 2025.
Meaning and etymology
According to Behind the Name, from the Hebrew name נְתַנְאֵל (Neṯanʾel) meaning ‘God has given’, from the roots נָתַן (naṯan) meaning ‘to give’ and אֵל (ʾel) meaning ‘God’. It is borne by several minor characters in the Old Testament, typically spelled Nethanel or Nethaneel. The entry lists its usage as Biblical, Biblical Greek.
Editorial confidence: likely
Popularity
Nathanael ranked #632 for boys in the United States in 2025. The figure comes from the Social Security Administration's national file for that year.
| Region | Year | Rank | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 2025 | #632 | ssa-2025 |
If you like this name
Names that Behind the Name files under the same origin (Biblical) and that sit near Nathanael in the 2025 American rankings.
Similar by origin
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Nathanael mean?
Nathanael means "God has given", according to Behind the Name.
Is Nathanael a popular name?
Nathanael ranked #632 for boys in the United States in 2025. (Social Security Administration data).
Is Nathanael a boy's or a girl's name?
In the 2025 SSA data Nathanael appears in the boys' list; Behind the Name labels it masculine.
Sources
- Behind the Name: Meaning, origin and history of the name Nathanael — supports meaning, usage, pronunciation, variants.
- U.S. Social Security Administration: Popular Baby Names — national data, year of birth 2025 — supports popularity.
