Total births
6,146
Boys' name · since 1902
Nathen
Nathen has 6,146 recorded births since 1902 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2006 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #5255
- among boys today
- 6,146
- born since 1902
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 63%
- more common than other boys
6,146 babies have been named Nathen since 1902, making it today's #5255 boys' name.
Nathen has 6,146 recorded births among boys since 1902, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #5255 as of the latest data, more common than 63% of boys, busiest in the 2000s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1902 to 2025.
- #5255 among boys today
- 6,146 born since 1902
- 2000s peak decade
- 63% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Nathen is currently the #5255 boys' name in America, more common than 63% of boys - 6,146 born since 1902, peaking in the 2000s.
- #5255
- among boys today
- 6,146
- born since 1902
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 63%
- more common than other boys
Nathen vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#5255
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 63% of names given to boys today.
2000s
Peak decade
36% of everyone ever named Nathen was born in this single decade.
2006
Single peak year
255 babies were named Nathen in 2006 - its busiest year on record.
How Nathen compares
6,146 Top 11% higher than 89% 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
Nathen's all-time total is 17x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Nathen | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 6,146 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 255 | 23 | 22,252 |
Nathen's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Nathen splits its recorded history at 1972: 92% of all births land in the more recent half, 8% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1910 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2006 peak of 255 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Nathen at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2006
Current rank
#5,255
Active since
1902
Nathen popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1902–2025
- Peak year (2006)
- 255
- Annual births at peak, across 124 years of records
Nathen by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Nathen's strongest decade.
2,187 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 36% of all-time use.
Nathen births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1900s 8
1900s
8 births
- 1910s 45
1910s
45 births
- 1920s 92
1920s
92 births
- 1930s 78
1930s
78 births
- 1940s 51
1940s
51 births
- 1950s 83
1950s
83 births
- 1960s 102
1960s
102 births
- 1970s 363
1970s
363 births
- 1980s 841
1980s
841 births
- 1990s
1990s
1,170 births
- 2000s
2000s
2,187 births
- 2010s
2010s
976 births
- 2020s 150
2020s
150 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 2,187 births (36% of all-time use).
How Nathen 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 Nathen's total volume
Nathen vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Nathen by state
Where Nathen concentrates geographically, total births since 1902
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 1,031 | 16.8% |
| #2 | Texas | | 441 | 7.2% |
| #3 | Ohio | | 218 | 3.5% |
| #4 | Michigan | | 215 | 3.5% |
| #5 | Washington | | 177 | 2.9% |
| #6 | Florida | | 144 | 2.3% |
| #7 | Illinois | | 136 | 2.2% |
| #8 | New York | | 125 | 2.0% |
California share of Nathen's total US births 16.8%
Even split
1,031 of 6,146 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 32 reporting states.
Nathen appears in 32 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Nathen? ▼
Nathen has been given to 6,146 babies in the U.S. since 1902, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #5255 as of the latest data. 255 babies were born in 2006, its single highest year.
When was Nathen most popular? ▼
Nathen was most popular in the 2000s decade with 2,187 total births. The single peak year was 2006.
Where is Nathen most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Nathen are California (1,031 births), Texas (441 births), Ohio (218 births).
How long has the name Nathen been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Nathen since 1902 -- 124 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Nathen? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Nathan, Nathaniel, Nathanael, Nathanial, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Nathen's data
- Nathen's decade-level peak was the 2000s (2,187 total births); usage has since declined to 150 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Nathens (1,031 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 Nathen
Nearby Names Like Nathen
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Nathen
Nathan Boy
#62 587,497 births
Nathaniel Boy
#144 287,103 births
Nathanael Boy
#674 22,227 births
Nathanial Boy
#3694 10,578 births
Nate Boy
#1564 4,490 births
Compare Nathen side by side: Nathen vs Nathan Nathen vs Nathaniel Nathen vs Nathanael
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Nathen
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, 1902–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Nathen: #5255 Boys' Name - 6,146 Births, Peak 2006." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/nathen. 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 Nathen 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.