Find out how popular the first name Manuel has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Popularity of Manuel by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Manuel is more commonly used as a male name, with approximately 99% of people named Manuel being male.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 1,006 male babies and 0 female babies born with the name Manuel.

The history of the first name Manuel

The name Manuel has its origins in the Hebrew name Emanuel, which means "God is with us." The name is derived from the Hebrew words "El" (meaning God) and "Immanu" (meaning with us). It first appeared in the Bible as the name given to the prophesied Messiah in the Book of Isaiah.

In the 5th century, the name Manuel gained popularity in the Byzantine Empire, where it was used as a Greek form of the Hebrew name Emanuel. During this time, the name was associated with the Eastern Orthodox Christian tradition and was often given to boys born into Christian families in the region.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Manuel can be found in the writings of the 6th-century Byzantine historian Procopius of Caesarea, who mentions a general named Manuel in his work "The Wars of Justinian."

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Manuel. One of the most famous was Manuel I Komnenos, who ruled as the Byzantine Emperor from 1143 to 1180. He was known for his military campaigns against the Seljuk Turks and for his efforts to strengthen the Byzantine Empire.

Another prominent figure was Manuel II Palaiologos, who reigned as the Byzantine Emperor from 1391 to 1425. He is remembered for his efforts to seek aid from Western Europe against the Ottoman Turks and for his participation in the Council of Ferrara-Florence, which aimed to reunite the Eastern and Western Christian churches.

In the realm of literature, Manuel José Quintana (1772-1857) was a Spanish poet and playwright who played a significant role in the development of Romanticism in Spanish literature.

The name Manuel also gained prominence in the realm of music with Manuel de Falla (1876-1946), a Spanish composer who was instrumental in reviving and promoting the musical traditions of Andalusia.

Finally, Manuel Noriega (1934-2017) was a Panamanian military dictator who ruled Panama from 1983 to 1989 before being overthrown and imprisoned for his involvement in drug trafficking and racketeering.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Manuel was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Manuel, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!