2000
#14,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,906
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.71
Rare Last name
Emmanuel
A surname of Hebrew origin meaning "God is with us," often adopted by Christians as a family name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,261 Americans carry the last name Emmanuel. That puts it at #8,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.24 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 80,440 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Emmanuel surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Emmanuel with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.3K
1 in 80,440
Census rank
#8,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,716 bearers of the surname Emmanuel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.24 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Emmanuel, the largest self-reported group is Black at 68.1%. The next largest groups are White (12.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (10.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Emmanuel
The surname EMMANUEL has its origins in medieval France and is derived from the Hebrew name Immanuel, meaning "God is with us". It was initially adopted as a personal name by Christians, but gradually evolved into a hereditary surname in certain regions.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname EMMANUEL can be traced back to the 13th century in the northern French provinces of Normandy and Brittany. Historical records indicate that it was particularly prevalent in the towns of Caen and Rennes during this period.
In the 14th century, the EMMANUEL surname began appearing in various official documents and records across France, such as tax rolls and parish registers. One notable early bearer of the name was Jean EMMANUEL, a merchant from Rouen who is mentioned in a trade agreement dated 1368.
As the EMMANUEL surname spread throughout France, it also underwent several spelling variations, including Emanuelle, Emanuele, and Emanual. These variations were often influenced by local dialects and scribal errors in record-keeping.
During the Renaissance, the EMMANUEL surname gained prominence through the achievements of several notable individuals. Pierre EMMANUEL (1470-1537) was a renowned French poet and humanist scholar who served as the royal librarian to King Francis I. Another notable figure was Jean-Baptiste EMMANUEL (1615-1687), a French architect who designed the iconic Château de Versailles for King Louis XIV.
In the 17th century, the EMMANUEL surname began to spread beyond the borders of France. One prominent bearer was Immanuel EMMANUEL (1670-1734), a German theologian and philosopher who made significant contributions to the field of rational philosophy.
As the EMMANUEL surname continued to disperse throughout Europe, it also found its way to the British Isles. One of the earliest recorded instances in England is that of William EMMANUEL, a merchant from London who is mentioned in the city's records in 1692.
In the 19th century, the EMMANUEL surname gained further recognition through the achievements of individuals such as Henri-Frédéric EMMANUEL (1812-1842), a French composer and pianist who is considered one of the pioneers of the Romantic era in music. Another notable figure was Sir Walter EMMANUEL (1869-1945), a British businessman and politician who served as a member of Parliament for several decades.
Overall, the surname EMMANUEL has a rich and diverse history, spanning centuries and crossing multiple national boundaries. From its humble origins in medieval France to its global dispersion, the name has been borne by scholars, artists, politicians, and individuals from all walks of life, leaving an indelible mark on the annals of history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Emmanuel
Among Census respondents with the surname Emmanuel, the largest self-reported group is Black at 68.1%. The next largest groups are White (12.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (10.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Emmanuel bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Emmanuel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American68.1% · 2,532
- White12.5% · 464
- Asian and Pacific Islander10.5% · 392
- Hispanic or Latino5.5% · 205
- Two or more races3.1% · 115
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Emmanuel
Emmanuel appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#11,081
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,864
+958 bearers (+50.3%)
Per 100,000 0.97
Rank movement Up 3,314 places
2020
#8,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,716
+852 bearers (+29.7%)
Per 100,000 1.24
Rank movement Up 2,570 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,395 | 1,906 | 0.71 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,081 | 2,864 | 0.97 | +958 bearers (+50.3%) | Up 3,314 places |
| 2020 | #8,511 | 3,716 | 1.24 | +852 bearers (+29.7%) | Up 2,570 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Emmanuel surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #11,081 | #8,511 | 23.2% |
| Count | 2,864 | 3,716 | 29.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.97 | 1.24 | 28.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Emmanuel bearers went from 2,864 to 3,716 (+29.7% change). The surname moved up 2,570 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,081 to #8,511.
FAQ
Emmanuel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Emmanuel?
Name Census estimates that about 4,261 living Americans carry the surname Emmanuel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 80,440 residents.
How common is Emmanuel?
Emmanuel ranks #8,511 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.24 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,716 people with the surname Emmanuel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,261), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.24 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.24 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Emmanuel.
Has Emmanuel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Emmanuel went from 2,864 recorded bearers to 3,716. That is an increase of 852 (+29.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #11,081 to #8,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Emmanuel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Emmanuel, the largest self-reported group is Black at 68.1%. The next largest groups are White (12.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (10.5%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Emmanuel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 68.1% (2,532 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Emmanuel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (68.1%), White (12.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (10.5%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Emmanuel (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Emmanuel mean?
A surname of Hebrew origin meaning "God is with us," often adopted by Christians as a family name. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Emmanuel (1.24 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Emmanuel?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.