Boy Names baby nameNathan

What does the name Nathan mean?

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.