Nathaniel
/nəˈθæn.jəl/noun
A masculine given name of Hebrew origin.
Did you know?Nathaniel comes from Hebrew *Natan’el*, a theophoric name built from *natan* (“he gave”) and *El* (“God”), part of a long tradition of names that encoded divine protection and destiny.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Hebrew
Hebrew
נְתַנְאֵל / נְתַן־אֵל
““God has given” or “given by God””
Greek
Greek
Ναθαναήλ
“A transliteration of the Hebrew name, used in the New Testament”
Latin
Latin
Nathanael
“Biblical personal name in Latin Christian tradition”
Middle English
English
Nathanael / Nathaniel
“A male given name used in English, especially in biblical and Christian contexts”
Modern English
English
Nathaniel
“A masculine given name”