Marcel vs Nathan
Marcel 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.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Marcel was ranked #535 and Nathan #62 among boys in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Marcel was ranked #372 and Nathan #71 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Marcel was ranked #475 and Nathan #88 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2023, Marcel was ranked #272 and Nathan #98 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Marcel was ranked #360 and Nathan #344 among boys in Norway.
Marcel and Nathan over time
Marcel and Nathan appear together in 4 published lists, across 90 years of shared records. Nathan held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Marcel in 1.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Nathan reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, and Marcel 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Marcel and Nathan changed places 11 times in Norway · Boys between 1982 and 2025, ending at #360 and #344.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 26 shared years in Norway · Boys, Marcel and Nathan averaged 56.0 places apart, ending at #360 and #344.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Marcel #148 in 2014, Nathan #26 in 2012.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Marcel held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Nathan in 29.
Highest recorded here: Marcel #221 in 2018, Nathan #24 in 2002.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Marcel #475, Nathan #88.
Norway · Boys26 shared years, 1982–2025
Marcel held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Nathan in 12.
Highest recorded here: Marcel #202 in 2020, Nathan #236 in 2017.
The order changed in 2024: Nathan moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #279 and #303; by 2024 that had become #368 and #301.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Marcel #360, Nathan #344.
Republic of Ireland · Boys21 shared years, 2005–2025
Marcel held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Nathan in 21.
Highest recorded here: Marcel #148 in 2014, Nathan #26 in 2012.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Marcel #372, Nathan #71.
Northern Ireland · Boys14 shared years, 2007–2023
Marcel held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Nathan in 14.
Highest recorded here: Marcel #234 in 2018, Nathan #24 in 2007.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Marcel #272, Nathan #98.
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 | Marcel | Nathan |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Commonly interpreted as 'he gave' or 'he has given'. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Biblical Hebrew |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈneɪθən/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #360 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #71 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Nathan has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew); Marcel does not have one recorded yet.
- Marcel and Nathan both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Nathan; Marcel doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Marcel
Popularity journey
First recorded1950
First recorded at #383 among boys in Norway in 1950 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded2005–2025
Highest recorded position: #148 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2014 (recorded 2005–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #360 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