Manuel Boy

Popularity: #350 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: mahn-WEL /mænˈwɛl/

Origin: Spanish; Portuguese

Meaning: Spanish: God is with us; Portuguese: God is with us

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Manuel has its roots in the Hebrew name "Immanuel," which means "God is with us." This name appears in the Hebrew Bible, specifically in the Book of Isaiah, where it is associated with a prophetic figure. The name was later adopted into Greek as "Emmanouel" and subsequently into Latin as "Manuelis." From Latin, it transitioned into Old French as "Manuel," before entering the English language.

The evolution of the name reflects a journey through various cultures and languages, maintaining its original meaning throughout its transformations. Historically, the name Manuel has been borne by several notable figures, particularly in the context of the Byzantine Empire.

One significant bearer was Manuel I Komnenos, who reigned as Byzantine Emperor from 1143 to 1180. His rule is often noted for its attempts to restore the empire's power and influence.

The name also appears in Christian hagiography, with Saint Manuel being recognized in various traditions, particularly among Spanish-speaking populations. The name's biblical origins and association with divine presence have contributed to its enduring significance in religious contexts.

Culturally, the name Manuel has been embraced in various traditions, often symbolizing faith and divine protection. It has been a popular choice in many Spanish and Portuguese-speaking countries, where it carries a strong cultural resonance.

The diminutive form "Manolo" is commonly used in Spanish-speaking cultures, reflecting a more familiar or affectionate version of the name. Overall, the name Manuel encapsulates a rich tapestry of linguistic evolution, historical significance, and cultural depth, making it a name of considerable heritage.

Famous people named Manuel

In this section, you will find notable people named Manuel. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Manuel who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Manuel who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Manuel Neuer is a footballer best known for playing as a goalkeeper for Bayern Munich and the Germany national team.

Manuel Garcia is a singer and composer best known for his contributions to the opera and zarzuela genres.

Manuel L. Quezon is a historical figure best known for being the first President of the Commonwealth of the Philippines.

Manuel de Falla is a composer best known for his works like Nights in the Gardens of Spain and The Three-Cornered Hat.

Manuel Puig is an author best known for his novels Kiss of the Spider Woman and Betrayed by Rita Hayworth.

Manuel Ponce is a composer best known for his guitar works and contributions to Mexican music.

Manuel Santos is a writer best known for his novels and contributions to contemporary literature in Colombia.

Manuel Almunia is a footballer best known for being a goalkeeper for Arsenal and the Spain national team.

Manuel A. Noriega is a historical figure best known for being the military dictator of Panama.

Manuel Castells is a sociologist best known for his work on the information society and urban sociology.

Fictional characters named Manuel

The following list of fictional characters named Manuel is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Manuel is a fictional character from the TV series Fawlty Towers. He is a bumbling Spanish waiter who often misunderstands situations and creates comedic chaos.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Manuel, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

MiguelJavierCarlosLuisFernandoDiego

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Manuel. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

EmmanuelMariusMarcelMatteoManfredMilanMarco

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Manuel was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Manuel has ranked as high as #276 nationally, which occurred in 2005, and has been most popular in California, Texas, New York, Arizona, and New Mexico.

In the past 5 years the name Manuel has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Manuel is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Manuel was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Manuel.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 860 860 0
2024 958 958 0
2023 1,009 1,009 0
2022 1,070 1,065 5
2021 1,036 1,036 0
2020 1,018 1,018 0
2019 1,147 1,147 0
2018 1,219 1,219 0
2017 1,327 1,327 0
2016 1,301 1,301 0
2015 1,297 1,297 0
2014 1,382 1,382 0
2013 1,472 1,472 0
2012 1,464 1,464 0
2011 1,559 1,559 0
2010 1,701 1,701 0
2009 1,954 1,954 0
2008 2,143 2,143 0
2007 2,413 2,413 0
2006 2,554 2,546 8
2005 2,665 2,665 0
2004 2,410 2,410 0
2003 2,248 2,248 0
2002 2,334 2,326 8
2001 2,312 2,312 0
2000 2,436 2,427 9
1999 2,361 2,354 7
1998 2,359 2,351 8
1997 2,330 2,323 7
1996 2,419 2,410 9
1995 2,377 2,366 11
1994 2,486 2,465 21
1993 2,446 2,433 13
1992 2,605 2,586 19
1991 2,519 2,498 21
1990 2,406 2,390 16
1989 2,235 2,208 27
1988 2,136 2,119 17
1987 2,103 2,084 19
1986 1,979 1,961 18
1985 1,998 1,975 23
1984 1,867 1,850 17
1983 1,894 1,869 25
1982 2,067 2,054 13
1981 1,985 1,962 23
1980 1,916 1,903 13
1979 1,937 1,910 27
1978 1,870 1,849 21
1977 1,767 1,739 28
1976 1,865 1,837 28
1975 1,824 1,800 24
1974 1,779 1,766 13
1973 1,730 1,709 21
1972 1,720 1,703 17
1971 1,702 1,689 13
1970 1,711 1,695 16
1969 1,694 1,675 19
1968 1,605 1,597 8
1967 1,591 1,577 14
1966 1,542 1,532 10
1965 1,515 1,502 13
1964 1,644 1,636 8
1963 1,633 1,615 18
1962 1,575 1,564 11
1961 1,680 1,666 14
1960 1,685 1,672 13
1959 1,661 1,648 13
1958 1,668 1,660 8
1957 1,642 1,633 9
1956 1,633 1,617 16
1955 1,676 1,671 5
1954 1,699 1,686 13
1953 1,582 1,576 6
1952 1,673 1,661 12
1951 1,659 1,643 16
1950 1,581 1,581 0
1949 1,653 1,643 10
1948 1,601 1,591 10
1947 1,690 1,678 12
1946 1,501 1,491 10
1945 1,399 1,389 10
1944 1,408 1,400 8
1943 1,444 1,429 15
1942 1,281 1,275 6
1941 1,127 1,120 7
1940 1,179 1,170 9
1939 1,152 1,143 9
1938 1,150 1,144 6
1937 1,141 1,131 10
1936 1,187 1,173 14
1935 1,164 1,148 16
1934 1,272 1,252 20
1933 1,202 1,189 13
1932 1,327 1,318 9
1931 1,326 1,312 14
1930 1,530 1,520 10
1929 1,641 1,626 15
1928 1,665 1,646 19
1927 1,612 1,603 9
1926 1,563 1,549 14
1925 1,566 1,553 13
1924 1,675 1,664 11
1923 1,557 1,545 12
1922 1,471 1,461 10
1921 1,561 1,556 5
1920 1,477 1,461 16
1919 1,370 1,361 9
1918 1,321 1,312 9
1917 1,157 1,157 0
1916 1,056 1,049 7
1915 976 976 0
1914 794 794 0
1913 624 624 0
1912 469 469 0
1911 340 340 0
1910 288 288 0
1909 243 243 0
1908 220 220 0
1907 184 184 0
1906 205 205 0
1905 157 157 0
1904 149 149 0
1903 151 151 0
1902 118 118 0
1901 150 150 0
1900 174 174 0
1899 97 97 0
1898 95 95 0
1897 86 86 0
1896 104 104 0
1895 98 98 0
1894 99 99 0
1893 96 96 0
1892 96 96 0
1891 85 85 0
1890 96 96 0
1889 81 81 0
1888 101 101 0
1887 72 72 0
1886 70 70 0
1885 90 90 0
1884 90 90 0
1883 74 74 0
1882 92 92 0
1881 57 57 0
1880 75 75 0

Top States for Manuel (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
CA 234
25%
TX 224
24%
AZ 60
7%
FL 56
6%
NY 26
3%
WA 24
3%
CO 22
2%
IL 21
2%
TN 17
2%
GA 16
2%
NC 15
2%
MA 15
2%
AL 14
2%
OK 14
2%
NJ 13
1%
NV 13
1%
IN 12
1%
MD 12
1%
OR 11
1%
PA 10
1%
MI 9
1%
KS 9
1%
VA 9
1%
OH 8
1%
IA 7
1%
WI 7
1%
NM 7
1%
MO 6
1%
RI 6
1%
CT 6
1%
SC 5
1%
LA 5
1%
UT 5
1%