Natalie
Natalie was the 89th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 2,736 babies. Its best year was 2008, when it ranked 13th; the most babies were born in 2006 (10,951). Over the last ten years it has moved down 62 places. More babies were named Natalie in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Meaning birthday (of Christ); Christmas · Latin, French
Say it NAT-uh-lee /ˈnætəli/
- Rank in 2025
- #89 girls, down 38 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 2,736girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 200610,951 babies
- Total since 1880
- 379,831babies recorded
What does the name Natalie mean?
Natalie is the French form of Natalia, a Late Latin saint's name from natalis, 'of birth', short for natalis dies, 'birthday', meaning the birthday of Christ, Christmas. DMNES notes that it was often given to children born around Christmas, and lists a 9th-century Spanish martyr named Natalia. Noelle comes from the same idea in French. Natalya is the Russian form, with the pet form Natasha.
nātālis (Latin, “of birth, natal”)nātālis diēs (Latin, “birthday (of Christ)”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Natalia, Nathalie, Natalee, Natasha, Noelle, Talia.
See also: Latin names.
Sources for this meaning
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Natalie', Durham University / The DMNES Editors
- Wiktionary, entry 'Natalie', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wikipedia, 'Natalie (given name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Nicknames for Natalie
The usual nicknames for Natalie are Nat.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Girls, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nat · also for Nathan, Natalia, Nathaniel | Traditional | — | — |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are girls given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Natalies go by each one.
Natalie popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 769 since 1917.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #89 | 2,736 |
| 2020 | #51 | 4,291 |
| 2010 | #14 | 8,789 |
| 2000 | #34 | 8,096 |
| 1990 | #63 | 5,637 |
| 1980 | #65 | 4,645 |
| 1970 | #142 | 2,370 |
| 1960 | #216 | 1,550 |
| 1950 | #405 | 390 |
| 1940 | #319 | 394 |
| 1930 | #248 | 624 |
| 1920 | #278 | 548 |
| 1910 | #337 | 136 |
| 1900 | #412 | 67 |
| 1890 | #441 | 34 |
| 1880 | #908 | 5 |
How popular is Natalie, counting every spelling?
Natalie is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #96 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #89 for Natalie on its own. Together these spellings went to 3,236 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natalie | 2,736 | #89 | 17,299 |
| Nataly | 292 | #907 | 1,413 |
| Nathalie | 145 | #1,481 | 1,027 |
| Natalee | 63 | #2,743 | 491 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Natalie?
2,736 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Natalie (0.76 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Natalie born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 3 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Natalie.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Natalie?
About 352,000 people born in the US named Natalie are alive today, with a median age of 26; half are between 16 and 40. That makes Natalie mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Natalie by state
How common Natalie was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Vermont (4.7×), Maine (3.5×), New Hampshire (3.4×), Rhode Island (2.6×), North Dakota (2.3×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in District of Columbia, Utah, Wyoming.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Natalie: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Natalie, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Natalie · Sibling names for Natalie
Questions about the name Natalie
What does Natalie mean?
Natalie means “birthday (of Christ); Christmas” (Latin, French origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Natalie?
Natalie was the 89th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 2,736 babies. Its best year was 2008, when it ranked 13th; the most babies were born in 2006 (10,951). Over the last ten years it has moved down 62 places. More babies were named Natalie in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Is Natalie a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Natalie in the US.
Where is Natalie most popular?
In 2021–2025, Natalie was most common in Vermont (10.11 per 1,000 girls), followed by Maine and New Hampshire.