Manon
A French feminine name, a diminutive of Marie or Anne.
Name Census estimates that about 692 living Americans carry the first name Manon. It is a predominantly female name (99.4% of registrations). The average person named Manon today is around 37 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Manon births was 1999 (26 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Manon. 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
692
~ 1 in 495,310 Americans
Peak year
1999
26 babies that year
Average age
37
years old
1954 SSA rank
#4,163
Tracked since 1917
Gender
Gender distribution for Manon
Out of the 828 babies given the name Manon since 1880, 99.4% were registered as female. The name sits firmly on the female side of the spectrum, with only a handful of male registrations across the entire dataset.
Manon as a male name
- Ranked #4,163 in 1954
- 5 male births in 1954
- Peak: 1954 (5 births)
Manon as a female name
- Ranked #14,567 in 2024
- 6 female births in 2024
- Peak: 1999 (26 births)
Popularity
Manon: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Manon from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 12 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 175 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Manon 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 Manon during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Manons live
Origin
Meaning and history of Manon
The name Manon is a French feminine given name derived from the late Latin name Ammona, which itself originated from the Phoenician name Ammuna. The name Ammuna is believed to be connected to the Phoenician word "aman," meaning "truth" or "trustworthy." The transition from Ammona to Manon is thought to have occurred due to the influence of the French language's phonetic rules.
The earliest recorded use of the name Manon can be traced back to the 13th century in France. It gained popularity during the 17th and 18th centuries, particularly after the publication of the novel "Manon Lescaut" by Abbé Prévost in 1731. The novel's titular character, Manon Lescaut, became an iconic figure in French literature, contributing to the name's enduring appeal.
In Christian tradition, Manon is associated with Saint Mannon, a Welsh saint from the 6th century who is revered as the patron saint of educators and students. This connection has added a spiritual dimension to the name's meaning and significance.
Throughout history, several notable women have borne the name Manon. One of the earliest recorded instances is Manon Gropius (c. 1445-1515), a German Renaissance painter known for her intricate religious artworks. Another prominent figure is Manon Roland (1754-1793), a French revolutionary and influential figure during the French Revolution.
Other notable Manons include Manon Cormier (1789-1873), a Canadian settler and pioneer in New Brunswick; Manon Massenet (1844-1926), a French opera singer and daughter of the composer Jules Massenet; and Manon Gropius (1916-1935), the daughter of the renowned architect Walter Gropius and a promising artist in her own right.
While the name Manon has ancient roots, it has maintained a timeless appeal and has been bestowed upon notable individuals throughout various eras and cultures, each contributing to the rich tapestry of its historical significance.
People
Manon + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Manon 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
Manon: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Manon?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 692 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Manon 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 495,310 US residents.
Is Manon a common name?
We classify Manon as "Very Rare". It ranks above 87.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 828 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Manon most popular?
The single biggest year for Manon was 1999, when 26 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Manon is about 37 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Manon a female name?
Yes, 99.4% of people registered as Manon 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.