Phanuel
A masculine name derived from Hebrew meaning "face of God".
Name Census estimates that about 31 living Americans carry the first name Phanuel. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Phanuel today is around 9 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Phanuel births was 2020 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Phanuel. 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 Phanuel. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
31
~ 1 in 11,056,592 Americans
Peak year
2020
8 babies that year
Average age
9
years old
2022 SSA rank
#10,584
Tracked since 2011
Popularity
Phanuel: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Phanuel from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 16 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Phanuel 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 Phanuel 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 Phanuel
The given name Phanuel has its origins in ancient Hebrew, derived from the words "panah" meaning "to turn or face" and "El" meaning "God." It can be interpreted as "the face of God" or "one who turns to God." This name first appears in the apocryphal Book of Enoch, where Phanuel is mentioned as one of the principal angels of God.
In the Book of Enoch, Phanuel is described as one of the four angels who preside over repentance and hope. He is said to be the one who oversees those who hope for eternal life and the Kingdom of Heaven. This early mention of the name in religious literature suggests its significance in ancient Hebrew and Judeo-Christian traditions.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Phanuel was a Jewish scholar and philosopher from the 1st century CE, Phanuel ben Hushiel. He was a contemporary of the famous Rabbi Akiva and was known for his expertise in the interpretation of the Torah.
In the 4th century, there was a Christian saint named Phanuel, who was a martyr and is celebrated in the Eastern Orthodox Church. He was born in Palestine and was martyred during the persecution of Christians under the Roman Emperor Diocletian in the early 4th century.
In the 16th century, Phanuel was the name of a French Huguenot pastor and theologian, Phanuel Voetius (1589-1676). He was a prominent figure in the Reformed Church and was known for his writings on theology and his opposition to the teachings of René Descartes.
Another notable individual with the name Phanuel was Phanuel Molière (1622-1673), a French playwright and actor who is considered one of the greatest masters of comedy in Western literature. He was best known for his satirical plays that criticized the hypocrisies and follies of French society during the 17th century.
In more recent times, Phanuel was the name of a South African anti-apartheid activist, Phanuel Tshenole (1923-2003). He was a member of the African National Congress and played a significant role in the struggle against racial segregation and discrimination in South Africa.
These examples demonstrate the diverse historical and cultural contexts in which the name Phanuel has been used, ranging from ancient religious texts to modern political movements. While its origins can be traced back to ancient Hebrew, the name has been embraced by various cultures and traditions over the centuries.
People
Phanuel + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Phanuel as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with P
Other first names starting with P with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Phanuel: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Phanuel?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 31 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Phanuel 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 11,056,592 US residents.
Is Phanuel a common name?
We classify Phanuel as "Very Rare". It ranks above 47% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 31 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Phanuel most popular?
The single biggest year for Phanuel was 2020, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Phanuel is about 9 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Phanuel a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Phanuel 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.