Bringing us back to the Old Testament, the name Nathan (coming from the Hebrew word for
God has given) refers mainly to a biblical prophet, as well as to one of King David's sons, although there are numerous other Nathans in the book. Interestingly, the prophet Nathan berated David for sending Uriah to die in battle so he could merry his widow, Bathsheba, with whom he later had a son: Nathan.
Unlike other names that seem to come out of nowhere (and often quickly disappear), the name Nathan seems to be stable. It has been in the top 100 names for nearly forty years, and does not show any sign of decreasing popularity. Some of it must be because Nate, the main nickname for Nathan, sounds just as serious and complete as the original name.
