Total births
587,497
Boys' name · since 1880
Nathan
Nathan has 587,497 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2004 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #62
- among boys today
- 587,497
- born since 1880
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 99.6%
- more common than other boys
Nathan currently ranks #62 among boys' names in America, with 587,497 babies recorded since 1880.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Nathan has been recorded 587,497 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #62 nationally and more common than 99.6% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 2000s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #62 among boys today
- 587,497 born since 1880
- 2000s peak decade
- 99.6% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Nathan is currently the #62 boys' name in America, more common than 99.6% of boys - 587,497 born since 1880, peaking in the 2000s.
- #62
- among boys today
- 587,497
- born since 1880
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 99.6%
- more common than other boys
Nathan vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#62
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 99.6% of names given to boys today.
2000s
Peak decade
23% of everyone ever named Nathan was born in this single decade.
2004
Single peak year
14,634 babies were named Nathan in 2004 - its busiest year on record.
How Nathan compares
587,497 Top 0% higher than 100% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Nathan's all-time total is 1,601x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Nathan | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 587,497 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 14,634 | 23 | 22,252 |
Nathan's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Nathan's SSA record in two at 1953 and the more recent half accounts for 95% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 5%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1881, with only 91 births recorded -- set against the 2004 peak of 14,634, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Nathan at a glance
Top 100 boys' namePeak year
2004
Current rank
#62
Active since
1880
Nathan popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (2004)
- 14,634
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Nathan popularity over time - girls
1,774 total births recorded since 1915 (Nathan as girls' name)
Nathan by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Nathan's strongest decade.
134,857 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 23% of all-time use.
Nathan births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 1,106
1880s
1,106 births
- 1890s 1,180
1890s
1,180 births
- 1900s 1,616
1900s
1,616 births
- 1910s 7,132
1910s
7,132 births
- 1920s 6,715
1920s
6,715 births
- 1930s 4,699
1930s
4,699 births
- 1940s 5,577
1940s
5,577 births
- 1950s 10,126
1950s
10,126 births
- 1960s 15,524
1960s
15,524 births
- 1970s
1970s
65,857 births
- 1980s
1980s
105,987 births
- 1990s
1990s
107,332 births
- 2000s
2000s
134,857 births
- 2010s
2010s
88,034 births
- 2020s 31,755
2020s
31,755 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 134,857 births (23% of all-time use).
How Nathan compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Nathan's total volume
Nathan vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Nathan by state
Where Nathan concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 75,337 | 12.8% |
| #2 | Texas | | 46,829 | 8.0% |
| #3 | Ohio | | 27,597 | 4.7% |
| #4 | Pennsylvania | | 27,563 | 4.7% |
| #5 | New York | | 27,076 | 4.6% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 26,623 | 4.5% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 23,446 | 4.0% |
| #8 | Florida | | 21,128 | 3.6% |
California share of Nathan's total US births 12.8%
Even split
75,337 of 587,497 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Nathan appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Nathan? ▼
587,497 babies have been named Nathan since 1880. It currently ranks #62 among boys. The peak year was 2004 with 14,634 births.
When was Nathan most popular? ▼
Nathan was most popular in the 2000s decade with 134,857 total births. The single peak year was 2004.
Where is Nathan most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Nathan are California (75,337 births), Texas (46,829 births), Ohio (27,597 births).
How long has the name Nathan been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Nathan since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Nathan? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Nathaniel, Nathanael, Nathanial, Nathen, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Nathan's data
- Nathan's decade-level peak was the 2000s (134,857 total births); usage has since declined to 31,755 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Nathans (75,337 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Nathan
Nearby Names Like Nathan
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Nathan
Nathaniel Boy
#144 287,103 births
Nathanael Boy
#674 22,227 births
Nathanial Boy
#3694 10,578 births
Nathen Boy
#5255 6,146 births
Nate Boy
#1564 4,490 births
Compare Nathan side by side: Nathan vs Nathaniel Nathan vs Nathanael Nathan vs Nathanial
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Nathan
Christopher #61
2,069,596 births · Peak 1984
Angel #63
265,886 births · Peak 2006
Bennett #60
72,514 births · Peak 2025
Nolan #64
135,505 births · Peak 2015
Jayden #59
253,989 births · Peak 2009
Waylon #65
55,048 births · Peak 2025
Wesley #58
247,713 births · Peak 2025
Cameron #66
312,661 births · Peak 2000
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Nathan: #62 Boys' Name - 587,497 Births, Peak 2004." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/nathan. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Nathan draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.