American writer Nathaniel Hawthorne, author of The Scarlet Letter, was born on July 4, 1804. Nathaniel is one of the Biblical names found in both the Old Testament and the New Testament, sometimes spelled Nathanael. Nathaniel is a classic boys’ name that’s always ranked in the US Top 1000, standing in the Top 100 from the late 1970s through 2015. Now at #143, the dignified Nathaniel comes with a range of appealing nicknames, including Nat, Nate, and sometimes even the more popular Nathan, which is actually a separate name. Happy July 4th, everyone!
