Natalie Name Meaning

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 a variation of the name Natalia, which comes from 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 venerated as a saint as well in the Orthodox Church and her name became common among Eastern Christians.

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 1900, 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 then, the name experienced a mostly upward trajectory through the 1940s, with rankings reaching the 200s. However, Natalie started dropping in popularity 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 2020, the name was ranked as No. 51.

The sudden jump in popularity starting in the late 1950s may have been attributed to American actress Natalie Wood, who was born Natalia Zakharenko to Russian immigrant parents. Wood’s commercially successful films earned her Academy Award nominations during her peak years of stardom in the 1960s.

In the 1990s and early 2000s, popular American musicians Natalie Cole and Natalie Merchant, as well as actress Natalie Portman, kept the name in the public’s eye.

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:

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

Other French names:

• Chloe
• Corinne
• Danielle
• Desiree
• Jacqueline
• Josephine 
• Marie
• Simone
• Suzette
• Zoe
  

Other names that start with N:

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

Common Nicknames

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

• Nat
• Naty
• Nattie
• Nathy
• Talie
  

Suggested Sibling Names

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

• 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, an American singer, voice actress, songwriter, and actress whose father was legendary musician Nat King Cole
• Natalie Cook, an Australian professional beach volleyball player and Olympic gold medalist
• Natalie Coughlin, an American competitive swimmer and twelve-time Olympic medalist
• Natalie Grant, an award-winning contemporary Christian music singer-songwriter 
• Natalie Maines, the lead singer for the all-female American country music band Chicks, previously known as the Dixie Chicks
• Natalie Merchant, an American musician, former lead singer for 10,000 Maniacs
• Natalie Morales, an American TV actress and director 
• Natalie "Nattie" Neidhart, a Canadian-American professional WWE wrestler
• Natalie Portman, an 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, an American actress known for playing Lovey Howell in “Gilligan's Island”
• Natalie Wood, an award-winning American actress who was especially popular in the 1960s
  

Fictional Natalies:

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