See the results of this poll: Nathan vs. Nathaniel
Respondents: 57 (This poll is closed)
- Nathan : 24 (42%)
- Nathaniel: 33 (58%)
If you’re going for sophistication, I vote [name_m]Nathaniel[/name_m]. It feels more traditional and complete than [name_m]Nathan[/name_m] [name_f]IMO[/name_f]. I love the nickname [name_m]Nate[/name_m]! Partly it’s fresh to me since I haven’t met many Nates. Big fan.
I find [name_m]Nathaniel[/name_m] a bit unnecessarily fussy. [name_m]Nathan[/name_m] is a good, solid name and personally I like it better without the extra frill - to me it feels stronger than [name_m]Nathaniel[/name_m]. For either option, though, [name_m]Nate[/name_m] is a great short form.
In terms of ‘traditional’ - [name_m]Nathaniel[/name_m] and [name_m]Nathan[/name_m] are actually separate (though related) names, [name_m]Nathan[/name_m] isn’t historically a short form of [name_m]Nathaniel[/name_m]. Neither is any more traditional, I don’t think.
I prefer [name_m]Nathaniel[/name_m] NN [name_m]Nate[/name_m] or [name_m]Nathan[/name_m].
I don’t like [name_m]Nathan[/name_m] as a full name, and much prefer the similar sounding name, [name_m]Ethan[/name_m].
This is exactly what I was thinking.
I like [name_m]Nathan[/name_m] so much better than [name_m]Nathaniel[/name_m]. I find [name_m]Nathaniel[/name_m] to be…soft but I find [name_m]Nathan[/name_m] to be strong.
[name_m]Nathaniel[/name_m] sounds nicer
I love both! I like [name_m]Nathan[/name_m] a bit more. It seems stronger and more manly. [name_m]Nate[/name_m] is a great name!
I love [name_m]Nathan[/name_m] and nn [name_m]Nate[/name_m]. [name_m]Nathaniel[/name_m] is just… Idk, too much to me.
I have a brother named [name_m]Nathanael[/name_m] (-ael ). [name_f]My[/name_f] parents chose this spelling to reflect my dad’s name, [name_u]Michael[/name_u]. [name_f]My[/name_f] brother goes almost exclusively by [name_m]Nate[/name_m], but was [name_m]Nathan[/name_m] when we were young kids. I have known one [name_m]Nate[/name_m] without a longer form, and I agree that it’s good to give your child multiple option as well as a more traditional/formal version if using an historic name. I did vote for [name_m]Nathan[/name_m] over [name_m]Nathaniel[/name_m] though because I like the way it’s bookended with the n’s. It just seems so solid, and enough of a name. Plus I have known men who go by [name_m]Nathan[/name_m], [name_m]Nate[/name_m], and [name_u]Nat[/name_u] but have never met one who actually used the full [name_m]Nathaniel[/name_m].
I voted [name_m]Nathan[/name_m]. I love [name_m]Nathaniel[/name_m] but I prefer it spelled [name_m]Nathanael[/name_m], the way it is in the Bible.
[name_m]Nathaniel[/name_m] is so strong and handsome, and also chivalrous sounding to me.
I much prefer [name_m]Nathaniel[/name_m]. It sounds fuller and more classic to me. To me, [name_m]Nathan[/name_m] feels more like [name_m]Josh[/name_m], [name_m]Andrew[/name_m], and [name_m]Lucas[/name_m] whereas [name_m]Nathaniel[/name_m] feels more like [name_m]William[/name_m], [name_m]Thomas[/name_m], and [name_m]Henry[/name_m]. [name_u]Love[/name_u] the nickname [name_m]Nate[/name_m].
[name_u]LOVE[/name_u] the nn [name_m]Nate[/name_m]!!
It was on our list.
Prefer nathaniel to [name_m]Nathan[/name_m]!
I love the name [name_m]Nathan[/name_m]! It’s both strong and handsome, whereas I don’t get that same imagery from [name_m]Nathaniel[/name_m] at all. And I definitely think that [name_m]Nathan[/name_m] feels classic; it’s a great Biblical name 
I like [name_m]Nathaniel[/name_m] better than [name_m]Nathan[/name_m], however [name_m]Nathan[/name_m] is nice, too. With [name_m]Nathaniel[/name_m] you can call him both [name_m]Nate[/name_m] and [name_m]Nathan[/name_m] for short.
I prefer [name_m]Nathaniel[/name_m] as [name_m]Nathan[/name_m] sounds dated to me.
[name_m]Both[/name_m] are handsome but I prefer [name_m]Nathaniel[/name_m]. [name_m]Nate[/name_m] is a great nickname. Using [name_m]Nathaniel[/name_m] would allow you to use all three, [name_m]Nathan[/name_m] and [name_m]Nate[/name_m] as nicknames.
I prefer [name_m]Nathan[/name_m] as a first name. [name_m]Nathaniel[/name_m] is excellent middle name material, but a negative personal association keeps me from warming up to it as a first.
I like both. They have different feels to me though.
I don’t see [name_m]Nathan[/name_m] as incomplete - it’s a Biblical name in its own right. I hate [name_m]Ethan[/name_m], but I like [name_m]Nathan[/name_m]. It’s a calm sort of name. It’s not stylish OR dated. It’s a very muted, classic feel to me. A bit like [name_u]Michael[/name_u]. It’s as unflappable as [name_m]Luke[/name_m] and [name_m]Isaac[/name_m].
[name_m]Nathaniel[/name_m] or [name_m]Nathanael[/name_m] (I like both spellings) is a bit dreamier and more of a “statement” - for years I loved it more, as it had more impact and drama. I don’t see it as too flimsy or not strong enough - it reminds me of [name_m]Alexander[/name_m]. [name_m]Long[/name_m] but distinctly masculine. It’s accessible, too.
[name_f]My[/name_f] only issue is I don’t particularly like [name_u]Nat[/name_u] or [name_m]Nate[/name_m]. In that sense, [name_m]Nathan[/name_m] is now pulling ahead slightly for me, as its shorter and likelier to not be cut down. But since you love [name_m]Nate[/name_m], [name_m]Nathaniel[/name_m] seems the natural choice to me.
There’s also the [name_m]French[/name_m] [name_m]Nathanael[/name_m], which I love. I think the name [name_m]Nathaniel[/name_m] is too beautiful to be shortened to friendly but overused nickname [name_m]Nate[/name_m]. [name_f]My[/name_f] cousin [name_m]Nathaniel[/name_m] just goes by [name_m]Nathaniel[/name_m]. Another way to get to [name_m]Nate[/name_m] is [name_m]Jonathan[/name_m]. Another cousin I have is named [name_m]Jonathan[/name_m] goes by [name_m]Jon[/name_m], but I think [name_m]Nate[/name_m] could work.