Natalie Name Meaning

Learn more about the meaning, origin, and popularity of the name Natalie.

The name Natalie is of Latin origin, meaning “birthday of the Lord” or “Christmas." It is derived from the Latin phrase natale domini meaning "birth of the Lord." Natalie is also a variation of the name Natalia, which comes from both Russian and French traditions.

One of the earliest recorded Natalies was the wife of the 4th-century martyr Saint Adrian of Nicomedia in Turkey. Natalie was also venerated as a saint in the Orthodox Church, and her name became common among Eastern Christians.

  • Origin: The name Natalie comes from the Latin phrase natale domini which means “birth of the Lord.” 
  • Gender: Natalie is most commonly used as a girl's name.
  • Pronunciation: NAT-uh-lee

Editor's Note

Although baby names are separated by gender, Parents believes that sex does not need to play a role in your name selection process. It's important to select a name that you feel suits your new baby the best.

Natalie Name Meaning

How Popular Is the Name Natalie?

Natalie has been ranked in the Social Security Administration's list of top 1,000 names for baby girls since 1880, the first available year of published records.

Since that time, the name has risen and fallen in popularity. The lowest Natalie has ever been ranked was in 1901 when it was No. 598. From there, the name experienced a mostly upward trajectory through the 1940s, with rankings reaching the 200s. However, Natalie started dropping in popularity again soon after. By 1955 it was ranked as No. 447.

Surprisingly, just four years later it jumped 200 spots to rank as No. 247. After that, the name Natalie continued to steadily increase in popularity until it reached its peak as No. 13 in 2008. In 2022, the name was ranked as No. 55.

Name Variations

The following are variations of the name Natalie:

  • Nata (Georgian)
  • Natacha (French)
  • Natalee (English)
  • Natalia (Spanish)
  • Natalija (Croatian)
  • Natalina (Italian)
  • Nataliya (Bulgarian)
  • Natalka (Polish)
  • Natallia (Belarusian)
  • Natasha (Russian)
  • Natasza (Polish)
  • Nathalie (French)

Similar Names

Similar sounding names to Natalie include:

  • Ashley
  • Berkeley
  • Hadley
  • Nahla
  • Nalani
  • Naomi
  • Talia

Other French names include:

  • Chloé
  • Corinne
  • Danielle
  • Desirée
  • Jacqueline
  • Joséphine 
  • Marie
  • Simone
  • Suzette
  • Zoé

Other names that start with "N" include:

  • Nancy
  • Nellie
  • Nicole
  • Nina
  • Noelle
  • Nola
  • Nolan
  • Norah
  • Norma

Common Nicknames for Natalie

There are several nicknames, some with alternative spellings, that are used to shorten the name Natalie, including:

  • Nat
  • Naty
  • Nattie
  • Nathy
  • Talie

Suggested Sibling Names

Looking for a sibling name for Natalie? Here are some popular choices:

  • Anastasia
  • Celine
  • Karina
  • Marc
  • Nicholas
  • Philippe
  • Rafael
  • Sebastien 
  • Sophie

Famous People Named Natalie

The popularity of the name Natalie in the United States closely aligns with the popularity of the name in pop culture over the last century.

Famous Natalies

  • Natalie Cole, American singer, voice actress, songwriter, and actress whose father was legendary musician Nat King Cole
  • Natalie Cook, Australian professional beach volleyball player and Olympic gold medalist
  • Natalie Coughlin, American competitive swimmer and 12-time Olympic medalist
  • Natalie Grant, award-winning contemporary Christian music singer-songwriter 
  • Natalie Maines, lead singer for the all-female American country music band The Chicks, previously known as the Dixie Chicks
  • Natalie Merchant, American musician and former lead singer for 10,000 Maniacs
  • Natalie Morales, American TV actress and director 
  • Natalie "Nattie" Neidhart, Canadian-American professional WWE wrestler
  • Natalie Portman, award-winning Israeli-born American actress who first gained international recognition for starring in Star Wars: Episode 1: The Phantom Menace in 1999 
  • Natalie Schafer, American actress known for playing Lovey Howell in Gilligan's Island
  • Natalie Wood, award-winning American actress who was especially popular in the 1960s

Fictional Natalies

  • Natalie, the first transgender character in the Emmy-nominated animated Netflix series Big Mouth
  • Natalie Boa Vista, character in CSI: Miami
  • Natalie Cook, character from Charlie’s Angels
  • Natalie Dragomiroff, character in Agatha Christie's novel Murder on the Orient Express
  • Natalie Figueroa, character in the TV series Orange Is the New Black
  • Natalie Green, character from the 1980s sitcom The Facts of Life
  • Natalia Romanova, character in the Marvel universe whose aliases are Natasha Romanoff and Black Widow

More Baby Names

Still searching for the perfect baby name? Check out these related baby name lists for even more options:

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Sources
Parents uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
  1. Popularity of a Name. Social Security Administration. 2023.

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