The name Nathanael comes from the Hebrew name Netanel meaning "God has given".
Famous bearers
In the New Testament Nathanael was one of the Twelve Apostles (also known as Bartholomew).
Bearers include Nathanael Carpenter (c. 1588 - 1628), an English author and geographer;
Nathanael Greene (1742 - 1786), an American general during the American Revolutionary War;
Nathanael Pringsheim (1823 - 1894), a German botanist;
Nathanael West (1903 - 1940), an American author, screenwriter, and satirist.