English

Proper noun

Nathaniel

1. A male given name.
   • 1594 William Shakespeare: The Taming of the Shrew: Act IV, Scene I:

     Nathaniel's coat, sir, was not fully made,

     And Gabriel's pumps were all unpink'd i' the heel.

   • 1837 Charles Dickens, The Pickwick Papers, Chapter 34:

     ‘What’s your Christian name, Sir?’ angrily inquired the little judge. ‘Nathaniel, Sir.’ ‘Daniel—any other name?’ ‘Nathaniel, sir—my Lord, I mean.’ ‘Nathaniel Daniel, or Daniel Nathaniel?’ ‘No, my Lord, only Nathaniel —not Daniel at all.’ ‘What did you tell me it was Daniel for, then, sir?’ inquired the judge.

   • 2010 Sophie Hannah, A Room Swept White, Hodder & Stoughton, ISBN 978-0-340-98062-0, page 102:

     Marcella and Nathaniel. Now I know their names. I haven't thought much about having children, but if I did, I wouldn't give them names like that. They're the sort of names you choose if you think you're someone to be reckoned with.

Related terms

• Nathanael
• Nathan
• Nat
• Nate

Translations

References

1. ↑ Hanks, Patrick, et al. Oxford Dictionary of First Names (Second Edition). Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006. Print.