| Nathaniel | Eli | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | God has given | Ascended, high |
| Origin | hebrew | Hebrew |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | nə-THAN-yəl | EE-ly |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 2002 (6,813) | 2012 (8,079) |
| In 2025 | 2,565 | 3,418 |
| Trend | Declining | Steady |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Nathaniel | Eli |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 16,088 | 26,169 |
| 2010s | 41,890 | 69,900 |
| 2000s | 64,264 | 28,043 |
| 1990s | 52,577 | 8,562 |
| 1980s | 38,652 | 5,455 |
| 1970s | 19,185 | 3,610 |
| 1960s | 10,191 | 1,323 |
| 1950s | 12,389 | 1,346 |
| 1940s | 9,489 | 1,288 |
| 1930s | 7,411 | 1,592 |
| 1920s | 7,794 | 2,520 |
| 1910s | 4,795 | 1,991 |
| 1900s | 1,143 | 483 |
| 1890s | 684 | 492 |
| 1880s | 551 | 721 |
From Hebrew Netan'el, combining natan 'he gave/given' + el 'God' — 'God has given'. A 'gift of God' name expressed as an act: God has given (this child).
From the Hebrew, “ascended” or “high.” Eli is a priest in the Book of Samuel.
Eli is more popular than Nathaniel today: about 3,418 US babies were given the name Eli in 2025, compared with 2,565 named Nathaniel.
Nathaniel means God has given (hebrew origin), while Eli means Ascended, high (Hebrew origin).
In US records, Nathaniel first appears in 1880 and Eli in 1880, so Nathaniel has the longer recorded history.