Manuel

Manuel - A very unique male name

Manuel appeared on the charts for the first time in 1910 on position #111. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Manuel and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Manuel? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Manuel. The baby boy name Manuel was given to 843 baby boys in 2025, ranking #368 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 1,739 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Manuel peaked in popularity 102 years ago in 1924 on position 108.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Manuel, 1-5?

Manuel is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Manuel is currently topping the baby name charts in Arizona at position #169 - and is the least popular in Ohio at position #1,085.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Manuel is where you live.

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Manuel origin and meaning

Spanish and Portuguese, from Hebrew Immanuel

Short form of Emmanuel, 'God is with us'

Manuel is the Spanish and Portuguese form of Emmanuel, the Hebrew name meaning 'God is with us.' It has a century of steady US use, peaked in 2005, and remains a cornerstone name in Spanish-speaking families.

Attested etymology

Manuel is a 6 letter name with 2 syllables.

To see famous people named Manuel, pop culture references for the name Manuel and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Manuel

We've found the following names that sound similar to Manuel, sorted by popularity.

Milo / Mylo / Male / Mel / Mael / Manolo / Manley / Melo / Molly / Manual /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Manuel

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Manuel a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Manuel?

2 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

man-WEL · /mænˈwɛl/
English speakers split between man-WEL and MAN-yoo-el; Spanish is mah-NWEL.

Around the world

• Manuel (Portuguese) — The same form in Portuguese
• Manuele (Italian) — The Italian form
• Manuel (French) — Used as-is in French

Spellings and nicknames

• Manoel — Older Portuguese spelling

Nicknames: MannyManu

Famous bearers

• Manuel Neuer — German goalkeeper, longtime Bayern Munich and Germany captain (b. 1986) Contemporary

Style

BiblicalInternationalClassic

Why parents choose it

It offers deep roots and effortless recognition across Spanish, Portuguese and English, with Manny as a friendly short form.

Worth knowing

• English speakers sometimes read it as the word 'manual.'