Nathaniel or Nathanael

[christianmama]

Love this name for a boy but can't decide on spelling- which do you prefer? I don't want him to constantly have his name misspelt but prefer the latter spelling. any suggestions?!

[Wishful80sMontage]

First spelling

[Enchufla]

The second one changes the way the name is pronounced imo...and not in a good way. I'd stick with Nathaniel

[Creatureofthenight]

First spelling, never seen the second spelling before.

[christianmama]

Oh really? I thought they were pronounced the same, I'm glad I've checked! Thanks! Will look into how they are said to choose...

[SirChenjin]

I've never seen the second spelling, so on that basis it should be the first!

[MyNameIsSuz]

The only one I know is Nathanael and yes, they're pronounced the same! I think it's the less well known spelling though.

[PurpleDaisies]

If you spell it Nathaneal people may well think you don't know how to spell Nathaniel properly because the alternative spelling isn't widely used (I've never seen it). Nathaniel is a lovely name though.

[TheRachel]

First spelling

[CardinalRed]

Definitely the first.
The second looks as if its be "respelt" as a poster on another baby name thread once expressed it.

[DramaAlpaca]

Nathaniel

[Indomitable]

I like the latter. Pronounced the same. Most people will spell it the former, which isn't a terrible problem.

[redautumnleaves]

Yep, first.
Second version looks like you made a mistake when registering his name.

[TheHumanSatsuma]

definitely the first, if they aare pronounced the same, why not go for the conventional one, your son will thank you later on!

[KatherinaMinova]

The second version makes me think of Nathaneal West (the only person I've heard of with that spelling), and that seems an unlucky namesake. But probably most people in the UK won't have heard of him!

[christianmama]

Fab, thanks very much everyone, there seems a definite consensus for the first spelling which is helpful, will prob go with the first spelling as my name is a nightmare to spell which I find annoying and don't want that for him!!

[reuset]

Never seen the second spelling, but glad you're going with the first.

[CakeRattleandRoll]

Agree - first spelling is best. Love the name btw!

[Indomitable]

It would help if the people objecting to the second spelling actually spelled it right!

I understand that posters wouldn't like Nathaneal, because it's wrong. But Nathanael is an accepted, and actually fairly common spelling.

[CardinalRed]

If it was fairly common, then how come so many of us have never seen it?
It's not like Ann/Anne, Alastair/Alasdair/Alistair or Clare/Clair/Claire.
It might be a perfectly legitimate variant, but to many people who have never encountered that spelling it looks as if it's been misspelt.

[CordeliaFrost]

People are mistaken if they think Nathanael is an alternative spelling, when it is in fact Nathaniel that is the variant.

Nathanael is and always be the original spelling, and indeed the authorised Biblical spelling.

I like both, but I prefer Nathanael, as I always prefer the original.

[Sophronia]

Yes, Nathanael is actually the original spelling.

[Elllimam]

I've also never seen the second spelling used and would also assume made up spelling (realise I am wrong though )

[TheDisillusionedAnarchist]

Nathanael is the Biblical spelling and could be seen as the original and is nicer but I think Nathaniel is so much more common these days that if you use Nathanael nobody will ever spell it correctly so I'd go with Nathaniel.

[Zakken]

Nathanael is perfectly consistent with Michael, Raphael, Rachael etc and nobody seems to have a problem with those.

[PurpleDaisies]

Well I have learnt something new today. I've never come across the biblical spelling Nathanael before.

As others have said, the other spelling is much much more common so if you use it rather than Nathaniel he'll be correcting the spelling a lot but that's not necessarily a deal breaker. Good luck with your new arrival.