Manhattan
A given name derived from the Algonquian word meaning "island of many hills".
Name Census estimates that about 89 living Americans carry the first name Manhattan. It is a predominantly female name (94.4% of registrations). The average person named Manhattan today is around 14 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Manhattan births was 2009 (9 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Manhattan. 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 Manhattan. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
89
~ 1 in 3,851,172 Americans
Peak year
2009
9 babies that year
Average age
14
years old
2015 SSA rank
#13,310
Tracked since 2000
Gender
Gender distribution for Manhattan
Manhattan leans heavily female at 94.4% of total registrations, but 5 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Manhattan as a male name
- Ranked #13,310 in 2015
- 5 male births in 2015
- Peak: 2015 (5 births)
Manhattan as a female name
- Ranked #14,566 in 2024
- 6 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2009 (9 births)
Popularity
Manhattan: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Manhattan from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 39 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Manhattan remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Manhattan 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 Manhattan during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Manhattan
The name Manhattan is an English word derived from the Lenape Native American word "manahactanienk," which means "place of general inebriation" or "place where they all got drunk." This name was given to the island by the Lenape people, who were the original inhabitants of the area now known as Manhattan, New York City.
The first recorded use of the name Manhattan dates back to the early 17th century when Dutch settlers arrived in the area and encountered the Lenape tribe. The Dutch adopted the name and spelled it as "Manhattan" or "Manhattas," which eventually evolved into the modern spelling of Manhattan.
Historically, the name Manhattan has been associated with the island of Manhattan, which is now one of the boroughs of New York City. The island played a significant role in the early colonial history of the United States and was the site of several important events, including the purchase of the island from the Lenape in 1626 by Peter Minuit, the Dutch colonial governor.
While the name Manhattan is primarily associated with the geographic location, there have been a few notable individuals throughout history who bore this name as their first name. One such individual was Manhattan Jaspers, an American baseball player who played in the Negro leagues during the 1920s and 1930s.
Another notable individual with the first name Manhattan was Manhattan Ebbs, an American writer and poet who lived in the late 19th century. Ebbs is best known for her collection of poems titled "Echoes from the Island," which explored themes of urban life and the vibrant culture of Manhattan.
In the field of art, Manhattan Brooks was an American painter and illustrator who lived in the early 20th century. Brooks was renowned for his vibrant depictions of New York City and its bustling streets, capturing the energy and diversity of the city.
Manhattan Quill was an American journalist and author who lived in the late 19th century and wrote extensively about the social and political issues of her time. Her work shed light on the lived experiences of marginalized communities and advocated for social justice.
Finally, Manhattan Sands was a Native American activist and educator who worked tirelessly to preserve the culture and traditions of the Lenape people. Sands played a crucial role in revitalizing the Lenape language and ensuring that the rich history of her people was passed down to future generations.
People
Manhattan + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Manhattan 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
Manhattan: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Manhattan?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 89 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Manhattan 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 3,851,172 US residents.
Is Manhattan a common name?
We classify Manhattan as "Very Rare". It ranks above 62.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 90 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Manhattan most popular?
The single biggest year for Manhattan was 2009, when 9 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Manhattan is about 14 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 Manhattan in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Manhattan a female name?
Yes, 94.4% of people registered as Manhattan 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.
Is Manhattan still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Manhattan 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 Manhattan 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 have the name Manhattan?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.