Manila
Of Tagalog origin, meaning "where the nilad plant is abundant."
Name Census estimates that about 8 living Americans carry the first name Manila. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Manila today is around 94 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Manila births was 1898 (104 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Manila. 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
- • The typical person named Manila is about 94 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Manilas were born before 1942.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Manila. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
8
~ 1 in 42,844,292 Americans
Peak year
1898
104 babies that year
Average age
94
years old
1944 SSA rank
#4,999
Tracked since 1897
Popularity
Manila: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Manila from the 1890s through to the 1940s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1890s, with 145 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1890s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Manila 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 Manila 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 Manila
Manila is a feminine given name derived from the Tagalog language spoken in the Philippines. Its origins can be traced back to the 16th century when the Spanish colonized the Philippine archipelago. The name is believed to be derived from the phrase "may nila," which translates to "there is nilad" in Tagalog, referring to a type of mangrove plant that was abundant in the area now known as Manila.
During the Spanish colonial period, the name Manila became closely associated with the city of Manila, which was established by the Spanish in 1571 and named after the nilad mangrove plant. The city quickly grew into an important trading hub in the region, and the name Manila gained prominence as a result.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Manila can be found in historical documents from the 17th century, where it was used to refer to the city and its inhabitants. Over time, the name transitioned from being primarily a geographic reference to becoming a popular given name for Filipino girls.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Manila. One such person was Manila Luzon, a Filipino drag queen and fashion designer who won the third season of the reality competition series "RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars" in 2018.
Another notable figure was Manila Santos, a Filipino author and activist who played a significant role in the country's independence movement in the early 20th century. She was born in 1892 and dedicated her life to fighting for women's rights and promoting Filipino literature.
In the world of sports, Manila Nieves was a Puerto Rican track and field athlete who competed in the Olympic Games in the 1960s. She specialized in the long jump and won several medals in international competitions.
Manila Valcin was a Haitian-American artist and painter who gained recognition for her vibrant and expressive works that explored themes of identity, culture, and spirituality. She was born in 1970 and her art has been exhibited in galleries and museums around the world.
Another notable figure with the name Manila was Manila Killa, a stage name used by the American electronic music producer and DJ Chris Gavino. He gained popularity in the early 2010s for his unique blend of trap and future bass genres.
These are just a few examples of the notable individuals who have borne the name Manila throughout history, showcasing its rich cultural significance and global reach.
People
Manila + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Manila 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
Manila: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Manila?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 8 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Manila 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 42,844,292 US residents.
Is Manila a common name?
We classify Manila as "Very Rare". It ranks above 24.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 214 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Manila most popular?
The single biggest year for Manila was 1898, when 104 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Manila is about 94 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Manila a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Manila 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.