Nate
Masculine · “he gave”
Nate is given to both — 4,490 boys and 301 girls since 1880. See other names given to both
Nate is Nathan or Nathaniel shortened, and both are Hebrew statements about giving — Nathan is 'he gave', Nathaniel 'God has given'.
How old is the name Nate?
Nate was already in use when US birth records began in 1880 — it is at least 145 years old. The typical Nate alive today was born around 2005, making them about 20 years old. About 4,100 people named Nate are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Nate most popular?
Nate peaked in 1880, reaching #909 nationally. Today it ranks #1743, 834 places below that high. See the whole 1880 chart.
Lists built from the same records:
Where it comes from
From natan to Nate
The story of Nate
Nathan is the prophet who confronts David over Bathsheba with the parable of the poor man's lamb — one of the sharpest scenes in the Hebrew Bible. Nathaniel is an apostle in John. Puritan families took both up, and English speech clipped them to Nate. American families register it outright and it is in current use.
Meaning
he gave; gift of God
Through Nathan, from the Hebrew natan, 'he gave', or through Nathaniel, from Netan'el, 'God has given'. Both are complete statements rather than words. The Hebrew is ordinary and the readings are undisputed; only which parent applies varies.
How the name formed
- natan
- Nathan
- Nate
Related forms: Nathan · Natan · Nathaniel
Pronouncing Nate
NAYT
One syllable. It is a homophone of the archaic English 'nate' and close to 'gnat' only in spelling.
Nicknames for Nate
Moderate
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1880
- Most boys named
- 2007181 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #909reached in 1880
- Change vs 2023
- −15.5%93 in 2025, from 110
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Nate in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- Nathan in English — related form
- Natan in Hebrew — related form
- Nathaniel in English — related form
Strongest US states over the last decade: California, New York, Texas.
Nates among us
people named Nate are estimated to be alive in the US today
About 1 boy in 18,366 born in 2025 was named Nate
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
What happens to a name after it peaks
Fashion outlook
Nate sits in the calm middle of the cycle — neither chasing a wave nor sliding off one. Middle-of-the-cycle names age slowly and predictably.
A scored estimate from 146 years of naming cycles — not a prophecy. Great names outlive statistics. How this is scored
Where Nate is headed
Nate should hold steady through 2030 — the curve is flat, and flat curves are the most predictable kind.
Medium confidence — fitted on official counts through 2025.
A damped-trend projection of the official birth data — a sketch of momentum, not a promise. Every name's forecast, ranked.
Nate beside its neighbors
The names ranked closest to Nate in 2025, in babies rather than position — the bars are to scale.
US boys given each name in 2025.
The trade-off
- Both possible parents are complete statements with undisputed meanings.
- Nathan and Nathaniel are available as full formal versions.
- One syllable, firm, and never mispronounced.
- Given outright it stays informal; Nathan on the certificate keeps both registers.
- The parent name is genuinely ambiguous.
- It is very short and can be swallowed by a long surname.
Nobody names a baby alone.
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What they receive
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Nate
Masculine · #1743 in the U.S.
Frequently asked
- How many Nates are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 4,100 people named Nate are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Nate in 2025?
- Nate ranks #1743 among US boy names in 2025, with 93 babies given the name.
- How rare is the name Nate?
- About 1 in every 18,366 US boys born in 2025 was named Nate — 93 in all.
- Will my child share the name Nate with classmates?
- Nate will almost certainly be the only one in school.
Ranked beside Nate
Names sitting at a similar level of popularity right now.
Ender#1743 · Nyaire#1743 · Deion#1743 · Rain#1743 · Laurence#1743 · Augustin#1743 · Jovan#1743 · Oskar#1743
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Nate? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Nate and another name?
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US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
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