Namewise

Beau vs Nathaniel

Beau and Nathanielcompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.

Head to head

Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.

  • New Zealand · Boys

    In 2014, Beau was ranked #73 and Nathaniel #91 among boys in New Zealand.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Boys

    In 2019, Beau was ranked #74 and Nathaniel #96 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.

  • England and Wales · Boys

    In 2024, Beau was ranked #110 and Nathaniel #144 among boys in England and Wales.

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys

    In 2025, Beau was ranked #152 and Nathaniel #223 among boys in Republic of Ireland.

  • Scotland · Boys

    In 2024, Beau was ranked #160 and Nathaniel #191 among boys in Scotland.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys

    In 2024, Beau was ranked #164 and Nathaniel #278 among boys in Northern Ireland.

Beau and Nathaniel over time

Beau and Nathaniel appear together in 3 published lists, across 62 years of shared records. Nathaniel held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Beau in 0.

The order between them changed and held in 3 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.

Nathaniel reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Beau in none. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.

Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.

How this pair is related

The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.

  • One moved ahead of the other

    In 2020, Beau moved ahead of Nathaniel in England and Wales · Boys — #167 and #137 the year before became #131 and #148.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Beau #150 in 2021, Nathaniel #197 in 2019.

List by list

  • England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 19962024

    Beau held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Nathaniel in 24.

    Highest recorded here: Beau #109 in 2023, Nathaniel #114 in 1999.

    The order changed in 2020: Beau moved ahead. In 2019 they stood at #167 and #137; by 2020 that had become #131 and #148.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Beau #110, Nathaniel #144.

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys19 shared years, 20042025

    Beau held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Nathaniel in 12.

    Highest recorded here: Beau #127 in 2023, Nathaniel #219 in 2020.

    The order changed in 2021: Beau moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #240 and #219; by 2021 that had become #168 and #239.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Beau #152, Nathaniel #223.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys14 shared years, 20092024

    Beau held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Nathaniel in 8.

    Highest recorded here: Beau #150 in 2021, Nathaniel #197 in 2019.

    The order changed in 2020: Beau moved ahead. In 2019 they stood at #254 and #197; by 2020 that had become #231 and #392.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Beau #164, Nathaniel #278.

Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Beau, Nathaniel
FieldBeauNathaniel
Record typeOfficial statistical record (evidence-only)Official statistical record (evidence-only)
Gender usageUsed for both boys and girlsmale
MeaningNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
OriginNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Pronunciation
Syllables13
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ
Most recent popularity observationNew South Wales, Australia · Boys #25 (2025)Norway · Boys #170 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)Not yet recordedNot yet recorded
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)95/10070/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Beau has 1 syllable, compared with 3 for Nathaniel.
  • Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.

How each name got here

Beau

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1986

    First recorded at #86 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1986 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    New South Wales, Australia · Boys

  2. Highest recorded2012–2023

    Highest recorded position: #22 among boys in New Zealand, in 2023 (recorded 2012–2023).

    New Zealand · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #25 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.

    New South Wales, Australia · Boys

Nathaniel

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1978

    First recorded at #326 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1978 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Republic of Ireland · Boys

  2. Highest recorded2003–2014

    Highest recorded position: #79 among boys in New Zealand, in 2012 (recorded 2003–2014).

    New Zealand · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #170 among boys in Norway, in 2025.

    Norway · Boys