David vs Nathan
David and Nathancompared 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.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, David was ranked #45 and Nathan #71 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, David was ranked #71 and Nathan #62 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, David was ranked #64 and Nathan #88 among boys in England and Wales.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2020, David was ranked #84 and Nathan #82 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2018, David was ranked #97 and Nathan #84 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, David was ranked #88 and Nathan #344 among boys in Norway.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, David was ranked #104 and Nathan #118 among boys in Northern Ireland.
David and Nathan over time
David and Nathan appear together in 6 published lists, across 239 years of shared records. Nathan held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, David in 2.
The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
David reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 6 of those lists, and Nathan 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 2013, David moved ahead of Nathan in England and Wales · Boys — #59 and #56 the year before became #50 and #55.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
David and Nathan changed places 8 times in Northern Ireland · Boys between 1997 and 2024, ending at #104 and #118.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, David and Nathan averaged 23.6 places apart, ending at #64 and #88.
- Longest-running competitions
David and Nathan were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 48 years, from 1969 to 2018, ending at #97 and #84.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys54 shared years, 1968–2025
David held the stronger position in 53 of those years, Nathan in 1.
Highest recorded here: David #1 in 1985, Nathan #26 in 1999.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: David #45, Nathan #71.
New Zealand · Boys51 shared years, 1969–2020
David held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Nathan in 26.
Highest recorded here: David #1 in 1969, Nathan #14 in 1995.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2020: David #84, Nathan #82.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys48 shared years, 1969–2018
David held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Nathan in 25.
Highest recorded here: David #1 in 1969, Nathan #10 in 1981.
The order changed in 1992: Nathan moved ahead. In 1991 they stood at #14 and #16; by 1992 that had become #16 and #13.
Most recent shared year, 2018: David #97, Nathan #84.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
David held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Nathan in 17.
Highest recorded here: David #32 in 1996, Nathan #24 in 2002.
The order changed in 2013: David moved ahead. In 2012 they stood at #59 and #56; by 2013 that had become #50 and #55.
Most recent shared year, 2024: David #64, Nathan #88.
Norway · Boys29 shared years, 1982–2025
David held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Nathan in 0.
Highest recorded here: David #31 in 2005, Nathan #236 in 2017.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: David #88, Nathan #344.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
David held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Nathan in 14.
Highest recorded here: David #9 in 1997, Nathan #15 in 2000.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: David #104, Nathan #118.
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
| Field | David | Nathan |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Commonly interpreted as 'beloved', with a possible secondary sense of 'uncle' for the root. | Commonly interpreted as 'he gave' or 'he has given'. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Biblical Hebrew |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdeɪvɪd/ | /ˈneɪθən/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #45 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #71 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Both David and Nathan share a recorded Biblical Hebrew origin.
- David and Nathan both have 2 syllables.
- David's recorded meaning differs from Nathan's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
How each name got here
David
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #167 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–2018
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1961 (recorded 1952–2018).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #88 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Nathan
Popularity journey
First recorded1968
First recorded at #267 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1968 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1969–2018
Highest recorded position: #10 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1981 (recorded 1969–2018).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #344 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys