UK boy's name
Nadav
A Hebrew masculine name meaning "generous" or "liberal".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2013. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Nadav is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Nadav popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2013 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4685, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2012, with 6 births.
This profile covers 33 England and Wales registrations across 9 recorded years from 1999 to 2013. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 50% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 33 living people in the UK are called Nadav. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2014 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Nadav ranked #4685 for boys in England and Wales in 2013, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2012, when 6 boys were registered as Nadav.
- • About 33 living people in the UK are estimated to have Nadav as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4685
2013
Births in 2013
3
Latest year
Peak year
2012
6 births
Estimated living
33
2026
Meaning
What does Nadav mean?
The name Nadav is a Hebrew name with roots dating back to ancient Semitic languages. It is derived from the Hebrew word "nadav," which means "generous" or "noble." The name's earliest known origins can be traced back to the Biblical period in ancient Israel.
In the Hebrew Bible, Nadav is mentioned as the name of the eldest son of Aaron, the first High Priest of the Israelites. According to the Book of Leviticus, Nadav and his brother Abihu were priests who were struck down by God for offering "strange fire" in the Tabernacle. This incident served as a cautionary tale about the importance of following God's commandments and respecting sacred rituals.
One of the earliest recorded individuals bearing the name Nadav was Nadav ben Aminadav, a prince from the Tribe of Judah who lived during the reign of King David in the 10th century BCE. He was mentioned in the Book of Samuel as a prominent figure in David's court.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals named Nadav. In the 2nd century BCE, Nadav was the name of a Jewish rebel leader who fought against the Seleucid Empire during the Maccabean Revolt. Another Nadav was a prominent Jewish scholar and poet who lived in Spain during the 11th century CE.
In more recent times, Nadav Guedj was an Israeli diplomat and ambassador who served as Israel's permanent representative to the United Nations from 1967 to 1970. Nadav Kander is a contemporary Israeli-born photographer and artist known for his portraits and landscape photography.
Nadav Lapid is an Israeli filmmaker and writer who has directed several critically acclaimed films, including Synonyms, which won the Golden Bear award at the 2019 Berlin International Film Festival. Nadav Naor is an Israeli businessman and entrepreneur who co-founded the social navigation app Waze, which was later acquired by Google.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Nadav over time
The chart below shows babies named Nadav registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1999 to 2013. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Nadav, the clearest high point is 2012. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2013, compared with 6 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Nadav by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Nadav was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | #4262 | 15 | 4 |
| 2000s | #3337 | 15 | 4 |
| 1990s | #2943 | 3 | 1 |
Related
Names similar to Nadav
- Noah 72,596
- Nathan 46,860
- Nicholas 15,983
- Nathaniel 12,151
- Niall 5,746
- Nicolas 3,825
- Nico 3,532
- Nate 2,029
- Nikodem 1,872
- Noel 1,865
- Ned 1,614
- Neo 1,563
FAQ
Nadav: questions and answers
How popular is the name Nadav in the UK right now?
In 2013, Nadav was ranked #4685 for boys in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Nadav most popular?
The peak year on record was 2012, with 6 babies registered as Nadav in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Nadav?
A Hebrew masculine name meaning "generous" or "liberal".
How many people are called Nadav in the UK?
A total of 33 babies have been registered as Nadav across the 9 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.