Manay
A Filipino name originating from the word "manang" or elder sister.
Name Census estimates that about 12 living Americans carry the first name Manay. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Manay today is around 3 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Manay births was 2022 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Manay. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Manay. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
12
~ 1 in 28,562,862 Americans
Peak year
2022
6 babies that year
Average age
3
years old
2024 SSA rank
#11,794
Tracked since 2022
Popularity
Manay: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Manay 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 Manay during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 12 | 0 | 12 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Manay
The name Manay is believed to have its origins in the ancient Mayan civilization of Mesoamerica, dating back to around 250-900 AD. It is thought to be derived from the Mayan word "manay," which translates to "strong" or "powerful." The Mayan people inhabited present-day Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, and parts of Honduras and El Salvador.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Manay can be found in the Popol Vuh, a sacred book of the Quiché Maya people. In this text, Manay is mentioned as the name of a powerful ruler and warrior. The name's association with strength and power likely stems from this historical reference.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Manay. One such person was Manay K'awil, a renowned Mayan warrior and leader who lived in the 7th century AD. He was known for his bravery and military prowess in defending the city-state of Calakmul against rival kingdoms.
Another prominent figure with the name Manay was Manay Chan Bahlum, a Mayan ruler who lived in the 9th century AD. He was the ajaw (king) of the city-state of Uxmal, and his reign was marked by significant architectural and cultural achievements, including the construction of the famous Pyramid of the Magicians.
In the 16th century, there was a Mayan woman named Manay Canek, who played a crucial role in the resistance against the Spanish conquistadors. She was a leader and advisor to the famous rebel Nachi Cocom, and her efforts helped preserve Mayan culture and traditions during the tumultuous period of Spanish colonization.
A more recent historical figure with the name Manay was Manay Ho Yen, a Chinese-born Hawaiian businessman and philanthropist who lived from 1880 to 1958. He made significant contributions to the development of the Hawaiian Islands and was known for his charitable works.
Lastly, Manay Opolu Zubair was a prominent Somali educator and women's rights activist who lived from 1931 to 2016. She played a crucial role in promoting education and empowering women in Somalia, establishing several schools and advocating for gender equality.
People
Manay + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Manay 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
Manay: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Manay?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 12 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Manay 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 28,562,862 US residents.
Is Manay a common name?
We classify Manay as "Very Rare". It ranks above 32.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 12 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Manay most popular?
The single biggest year for Manay was 2022, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Manay is about 3 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Manay in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Manay a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Manay in the SSA data are male. 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.
Is Manay still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Manay in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Manay can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are called Manay?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.