Natnael is an Ethiopian and Hebrew form of Nathanael, meaning gift of God.
Natnael is the Ethiopian and Eritrean rendering of the Hebrew Nathanael (נְתַנְאֵל), meaning "God has given" — a name built from natan ("to give") and El ("God"). The Biblical Nathanael appears in the Gospel of John as one of the earliest disciples of Jesus, praised by Christ as "an Israelite in whom there is no deceit." He is widely identified with Bartholomew in the Synoptic Gospels and is considered a saint and martyr in the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, one of the world's oldest Christian denominations, which has practiced Christianity continuously since the fourth century.
In Ethiopia, the name's spelling and pronunciation evolved over millennia through the Ge'ez liturgical tradition, producing the distinctive Natnael form that is now widespread across the highlands of Ethiopia and the Tigrinya-speaking communities of Eritrea. It carries strong associations with the Ethiopian Orthodox calendar, feast days, and the rich hagiographic tradition of East African Christianity. Among Ethiopian Jews — the Beta Israel community — the Hebraic roots of the name were preserved through a parallel tradition, giving Natnael a presence across religious boundaries.
, Minneapolis, London, and Stockholm, where substantial East African communities have made it a recognizable name internationally. Parents often shorten it to "Nat" in English-speaking contexts, but many families insist on the full form as a connection to heritage. The name's deep ecclesiastical roots give it a gravity and spiritual sincerity that transcends any single generation.