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Home › Baby Names Directory › Nathan

Nathan

♀ Girl

Pronounced NAY-thun /ˈneɪ.θən/High

Meaning: From the Hebrew Natan, 'he gave; gift.' The name of a prophet in the Bible. Overwhelmingly a boys' name; used here for a girl, which we note.Medium

In 30 seconds: A biblical classic: Nathan means 'he gave' in Hebrew (said 'NAY-thun'). Strongly a boy's name — we note the lean.
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Origin MediumHebrew
MeaningFrom the Hebrew Natan, 'he gave; gift.' The name of a prophet in the Bible. Overwhelmingly a boys' name; used here for a girl, which we note.
U.S. rank (2025)#16565 ↘ Falling
2025 U.S. births5 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)
Peak year1985
Total births (all-time)≈ 1,774

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 198519152025

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Nathan derives from the Hebrew Natan, 'he gave; gift,' carried by the prophet Nathan. A perennial boys' classic in the English-speaking world, it appears only very rarely for girls — a strong lean we note (said 'NAY-thun').

For girls it appears very rarely in the U.S., against heavy boys' use. Very rare for girls, classic, and biblical.

Did you know? Nathan comes from the Hebrew for 'he gave; gift,' the name of a prophet in the Bible. It is overwhelmingly a boys' name; used here for a girl, we note the strong lean (said 'NAY-thun').
Overall data confidence 55%
References — Nathan — Hebrew 'he gave'; cross-sex, strongly boy-leaning

Variations

NathanielNathenNatan

Nicknames

NateNat

Famous Bearers

  • Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Nathan…

Nathaniel— a like Hebrew 'gift of God' name
Ethan— a like biblical boys' classic
Nolan— a like -an ending boys' name
Jonathan— a like Nathan-related Hebrew name

Explore names like Nathan

By themehebrewbiblicalcross-sexunisex-lean-boy

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Nathan mean?

Nathan is from the Hebrew for 'he gave; gift,' the name of a biblical prophet.

How do you pronounce Nathan?

It's said NAY-thun /ˈneɪ.θən/ — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Nathan a boy or girl name?

Nathan is overwhelmingly a boys' name; used here for a girl, we note the strong lean.

How popular is Nathan?

Nathan is very rare for girls and common for boys in the U.S.

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