Manuia
A feminine name of Polynesian origin meaning "prosperous" or "successful".
Name Census estimates that about 6 living Americans carry the first name Manuia. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Manuia today is around 8 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Manuia births was 2018 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Manuia. 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 Manuia. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
6
~ 1 in 57,125,723 Americans
Peak year
2018
6 babies that year
Average age
8
years old
2018 SSA rank
#11,639
Tracked since 2018
Popularity
Manuia: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Manuia 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 Manuia during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 6 | 0 | 6 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Manuia
Manuia is a Polynesian name that originates from the Cook Islands, a group of islands located in the South Pacific Ocean. The name is derived from the Cook Islands Maori language, where "manu" means bird and "ia" means essence or being. Thus, the name Manuia can be interpreted as "the essence or being of a bird."
The Cook Islands have a rich cultural heritage that dates back to the migrations of Polynesian settlers from other Pacific islands, such as Tahiti and Samoa. The name Manuia has been used in the Cook Islands for centuries and is deeply rooted in the traditional Polynesian beliefs and customs.
In ancient Polynesian mythology, birds were often revered as sacred creatures and were associated with various deities and spiritual realms. The name Manuia may have been bestowed upon individuals who were believed to possess qualities or characteristics associated with birds, such as freedom, grace, or the ability to soar.
Records from early European explorers and missionaries who visited the Cook Islands in the 18th and 19th centuries mention encountering individuals with the name Manuia. One notable example is Manuia Ariki, a high chief of the island of Atiu who played a significant role in the island's history during the 19th century.
Throughout history, several prominent individuals have borne the name Manuia. One of the earliest recorded examples is Manuia Te Ariki, a highly respected leader and navigator from the island of Rarotonga, who lived in the late 18th century and was renowned for his seafaring skills.
Another notable figure was Manuia Te Rangi, a celebrated Cook Islands artist and woodcarver from the early 20th century, who helped preserve and promote traditional Polynesian art forms.
In the mid-20th century, Manuia William was a prominent Cook Islands politician and served as the first Premier of the Cook Islands from 1965 to 1978, playing a crucial role in the country's transition to self-governance.
More recently, Manuia Moses was a celebrated Cook Islands artist and sculptor who gained international recognition for his intricate wood carvings and representations of Polynesian culture and mythology.
The name Manuia continues to be widely used in the Cook Islands and other Polynesian communities, carrying with it a rich cultural heritage and a connection to the islands' traditional beliefs and customs.
People
Manuia + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Manuia 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
Manuia: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Manuia?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Manuia 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 57,125,723 US residents.
Is Manuia a common name?
We classify Manuia as "Very Rare". It ranks above 22.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 6 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Manuia most popular?
The single biggest year for Manuia was 2018, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Manuia is about 8 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 Manuia in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Manuia a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Manuia 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.
Is Manuia still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Manuia 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 Manuia 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 common is the name Manuia?
See how many people share the name Manuia on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.