Manal
A feminine Arabic name meaning "high aspiration" or "lofty goal".
Name Census estimates that about 1,363 living Americans carry the first name Manal. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Manal today is around 23 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Manal births was 2021 (55 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Manal. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
1.4K
~ 1 in 251,471 Americans
Peak year
2021
55 babies that year
Average age
23
years old
2024 SSA rank
#3,925
Tracked since 1967
Popularity
Manal: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Manal from the 1960s through to the 2020s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 373 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Manal remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Manal by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Manal during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Manals live
The SSA's state-level files cover 9 states and territories. Minnesota, California, New York recorded the most babies named Manal, while Florida, Ohio, Massachusetts recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 37 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Manal
The name Manal is derived from the Arabic language and has its roots in the Middle Eastern and North African regions. It is believed to have originated during the medieval era, around the 7th or 8th century AD, when the Islamic civilization was flourishing.
Manal is derived from the Arabic word "manaal," which means "attainment" or "achievement." It is a feminine name that carries connotations of success, accomplishment, and reaching one's goals. In some interpretations, it is also associated with beauty, grace, and elegance.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Manal can be found in Arabic literature and poetry from the 9th century AD. It was commonly used by Arab poets and writers to describe the beauty and virtues of their beloved muses or female subjects.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Manal. One of the most famous was Manal al-Solaymanī, a renowned 11th-century Arab poet and scholar from Yemen. She was renowned for her poetic prowess and contribution to Arabic literature.
Another prominent figure was Manal al-Sharif, a Saudi Arabian women's rights activist born in 1979. She gained international recognition for her campaign against the ban on women driving in Saudi Arabia and her advocacy for gender equality.
In the realm of arts and entertainment, Manal Issa is a Lebanese singer and actress born in 1955. She has had a successful career in the Arab music industry and has been recognized for her contributions to Arabic pop culture.
Manal Massalha is a Palestinian-American academic and activist born in 1967. She is known for her work on issues related to Palestine, human rights, and social justice.
Manal Younus is a Bangladeshi-born American poet and writer born in 1981. She has published several acclaimed collections of poetry and has been recognized for her unique literary voice and exploration of themes related to identity, culture, and belonging.
While the name Manal has its roots in the Arabic language and culture, it has gained popularity across various regions and communities around the world, transcending its linguistic and cultural boundaries.
People
Manal + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Manal as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with M
Other first names starting with M with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Manal: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Manal?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,363 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Manal going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 251,471 US residents.
Is Manal a common name?
We classify Manal as "Rare". It ranks above 91.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,401 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Manal most popular?
The single biggest year for Manal was 2021, when 55 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Manal is about 23 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Manal a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Manal in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.