Manual
One who works or labors with their hands.
Name Census estimates that about 544 living Americans carry the first name Manual. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Manual today is around 56 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Manual births was 1928 (23 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Manual. 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
544
~ 1 in 630,063 Americans
Peak year
1928
23 babies that year
Average age
56
years old
2010 SSA rank
#11,676
Tracked since 1910
Popularity
Manual: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Manual from the 1910s through to the 2010s, spanning 11 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 177 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Manual 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 Manual during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Manuals live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. California, Texas, Alabama recorded the most babies named Manual, while Alabama, Texas, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 13 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Manual
The name Manual is of Spanish origin and derives from the Latin word "manualis", meaning "by hand" or "manual labor". It has been used as a given name since the Middle Ages, particularly in Catholic countries where it held religious significance.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Manual was in the 13th century, when it was used to refer to a Spanish monk and scholar, Manual de Cordoba. He was known for his writings on theology and philosophy.
In the 15th century, Manual de Gerena was a notable Spanish sculptor and architect who worked on several notable projects, including the Cathedral of Seville.
Another notable figure bearing the name Manual was Manuel I Komnenos, a Byzantine emperor who ruled from 1143 to 1180. He was a key figure in the struggles between the Byzantine Empire and the Seljuk Turks.
In the 17th century, Manual Fernandez de Santa Cruz was a Spanish military engineer and architect who designed numerous fortifications and public works projects throughout Spain and its colonies.
During the 19th century, Manual Belgrano was an influential Argentine economist, lawyer, and politician who played a crucial role in the Argentine War of Independence. He is considered one of the founding fathers of Argentina.
The name Manual has also been used by several other historical figures, including Manual Garcia, a 19th century Spanish composer and musician, and Manual Quintana, a 19th century Mexican politician and writer.
While the name Manual has its roots in Spanish and Latin, it has been adopted and used in various cultures and languages over the centuries, often with slight variations in spelling or pronunciation. However, its connection to the concept of manual labor and craftsmanship has remained a consistent theme throughout its history.
People
Manual + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Manual 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
Manual: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Manual?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 544 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Manual 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 630,063 US residents.
Is Manual a common name?
We classify Manual as "Very Rare". It ranks above 85.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,021 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Manual most popular?
The single biggest year for Manual was 1928, when 23 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Manual is about 56 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Manual a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Manual 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.
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.