Michael vs Nathan
Michael 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, Michael was ranked #22 and Nathan #71 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2018, Michael was ranked #62 and Nathan #84 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Michael was ranked #66 and Nathan #62 among boys in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Michael was ranked #66 and Nathan #118 among boys in Northern Ireland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2022, Michael was ranked #95 and Nathan #82 among boys in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Michael was ranked #85 and Nathan #88 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Michael was ranked #195 and Nathan #344 among boys in Norway.
Michael and Nathan over time
Michael and Nathan appear together in 6 published lists, across 243 years of shared records. Michael held the stronger position in more years in 6 of them, Nathan in 0.
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.
Michael 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 2021, Nathan moved ahead of Michael in New Zealand · Boys — #81 and #82 the year before became #82 and #76.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Michael and Nathan changed places 7 times in New Zealand · Boys between 1969 and 2022, ending at #95 and #82.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Michael and Nathan averaged 10.0 places apart, ending at #85 and #88.
- Longest-running competitions
Michael and Nathan were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 49 years, from 1969 to 2018, ending at #62 and #84.
List by list
New Zealand · Boys54 shared years, 1969–2022
Michael held the stronger position in 37 of those years, Nathan in 17.
Highest recorded here: Michael #1 in 1973, Nathan #14 in 1995.
The order changed in 2021: Nathan moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #81 and #82; by 2021 that had become #82 and #76.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Michael #95, Nathan #82.
Republic of Ireland · Boys54 shared years, 1968–2025
Michael held the stronger position in 54 of those years, Nathan in 0.
Highest recorded here: Michael #2 in 1973, Nathan #26 in 1999.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Michael #22, Nathan #71.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys49 shared years, 1969–2018
Michael held the stronger position in 48 of those years, Nathan in 1.
Highest recorded here: Michael #1 in 1974, Nathan #10 in 1981.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2018: Michael #62, Nathan #84.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Michael held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Nathan in 12.
Highest recorded here: Michael #22 in 1996, Nathan #24 in 2002.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Michael #85, Nathan #88.
Norway · Boys29 shared years, 1982–2025
Michael held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Nathan in 0.
Highest recorded here: Michael #48 in 1990, Nathan #236 in 2017.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Michael #195, Nathan #344.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Michael held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Nathan in 0.
Highest recorded here: Michael #7 in 1997, Nathan #15 in 2000.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Michael #66, 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 | Michael | Nathan |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Commonly interpreted as a rhetorical question, 'Who is like God?', implying no one compares to God. | Commonly interpreted as 'he gave' or 'he has given'. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Biblical Hebrew |
| Pronunciation | /ˈmaɪkəl/ | /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 #22 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #71 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Both Michael and Nathan share a recorded Biblical Hebrew origin.
- Michael and Nathan both have 2 syllables.
- Michael'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
Michael
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #259 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1974 (recorded 1952–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #62 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · 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