Nathan
Meaning of Nathan
Nathan drifts onto the tongue as NAY-thən, a syllabic ripple that seems to pause between inhale and exhale, and its Hebrew roots—nātán, “he has given”—unfold like a silk–wrapped omiyage, reminding listeners that every child is first and foremost a gift offered back to the world. Across millennia, the name’s aura has carried the steady composure of the biblical prophet who once counseled King David, and in modern times its popularity has crested and ebbed through American decades like the moon-pulled tide along a quiet Kamakura shore, peaking in the early 2000s before settling into today’s tranquil, mid-garden rank. Nathan evokes the clear timbre of a shakuhachi note at dusk: restrained, thoughtful, yet unmistakably resonant—an emblem for parents who seek a name both time-honored and quietly luminous, capable of standing firm amid history’s stone lanterns while still catching the silver spray of tomorrow’s sea.
Pronunciation
English
- Pronunced as NAY-thuhn (/ˈneɪθən/)
U.S. Popularity Chart
States Popularity Chart
Notable People Named Nathan
| Nathan Chen is an American figure skater and 2022 Olympic champion with three World titles, three Grand Prix Final wins, six US national crowns, and a decorated junior career. |
| Nathan Lane is a celebrated American stage and screen actor with three Tonys, three Emmys, Hollywood Walk of Fame and American Theater Hall of Fame honors, and praise from The New York Times as the greatest stage entertainer of the decade. |
| Nathan Adrian is an American swimmer and five-time Olympic gold medalist who formerly held the American record in the long course 50-meter freestyle. |
| Nathan Fillion is a Canadian and American actor best known for Firefly, Castle, and The Rookie, where he plays Officer John Nolan and serves as an executive producer. |
| Nathan Hale was a Revolutionary War soldier and spy captured and executed by the British and remembered as an American hero and the state hero of Connecticut. |
| Nathan Eovaldi is an American pitcher for the Texas Rangers, previously with the Dodgers, Marlins, Yankees, Rays, and Red Sox. |
| Nathan Lyon is an Australian Test cricketer and record breaking off spin bowler for New South Wales who debuted in 2011, played his 100th Test in 2021, and by 2025 had more than 500 Test wickets ranking third for Australia and seventh worldwide. |
| Nathan MacKinnon is a Canadian ice hockey center and alternate captain for the Colorado Avalanche, chosen first overall in the 2013 NHL Draft. |
| Nathan Paul Myhrvold is an American scientist and entrepreneur, former Microsoft chief technology officer, cofounder of Intellectual Ventures and TerraPower, and principal author of Modernist Cuisine. |
| Nathan Kress is an American actor who began as a child, rose to fame as Freddie Benson on iCarly, returned for the revival, and voiced roles in Star Wars Rebels and Pinky Malinky. |
| Nathan Hartono - Nathaniel Hartono is a Singaporean singer songwriter and actor who won the Teenage Icon competition in 2005 and released his debut album in 2006. |
| Nathan Abshire was an American Cajun accordionist best known for Pine Grove Blues, whose 1964 Newport Folk Festival appearance spread his fame, though he lived modestly and is remembered through exhibits and publications. |
| Nathan Fielder is a Canadian comedian and filmmaker known for his awkward, reality-blurring work and activism, earning Independent Spirit and WGA awards, multiple Emmy nominations, and a place on the Time 100 list in 2023. |
| Nathan Luke Baker is an English former central defender who came through the Aston Villa academy, had loans at Lincoln City and Millwall, joined Bristol City in 2017, and played for England U19, U20, and U21. |
| English singer Nathan Sykes rose to fame with The Wanted and later topped the US Dance Club Songs chart in 2015 with his debut solo single Kiss Me Quick. |
