2000
#116,123
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 139
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Manel
A Catalan surname referring to a person from the town of Manella.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Manel. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Manel 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.
Bearers in the US
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Manel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Manel, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (11.9%) and Hispanic (10.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Manel
The surname MANEL originated in Catalonia, a region in northeastern Spain. It can be traced back to the 13th century and is derived from the Latin personal name "Emanuelus," which means "God is with us." This name was likely brought to Catalonia during the Roman occupation of the Iberian Peninsula.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname MANEL can be found in the medieval Catalan document "Llibre de Repartiment de València," which dates back to the 13th century. This document lists individuals who received land grants in the newly conquered city of Valencia, including several people with the surname MANEL.
In the 14th century, the MANEL family was prominent in the town of Vilafranca del Penedès, located in the Catalan region of Alt Penedès. Records from this period mention a notable figure named Bernat MANEL, who served as a municipal official and landowner.
During the 15th century, the MANEL surname spread to other parts of Catalonia and the neighboring regions of Aragon and Valencia. In the city of Barcelona, the MANEL family was involved in various trades and professions, including merchants, artisans, and lawyers.
One of the most famous historical figures with the surname MANEL was Jaume MANEL (1582-1640), a Catalan jurist and author who served as a magistrate in the Royal Audience of Catalonia. He wrote several legal treatises and was known for his expertise in Catalan law.
Another notable individual was Joan MANEL (1609-1677), a Catalan playwright and poet who made significant contributions to the Golden Age of Catalan literature. His works included comedies, tragedies, and religious plays, and he was celebrated for his mastery of the Catalan language.
In the 18th century, the MANEL surname spread to other parts of Spain and beyond, as Catalan families migrated or established trade connections. One example is Antoni MANEL (1718-1784), a Spanish military officer who served in the Spanish Army and participated in various campaigns in Europe and the Americas.
During the 19th century, the MANEL surname can be found in various parts of the Spanish-speaking world, including Latin America. One notable figure was Manuel MANEL (1825-1899), a Cuban poet and journalist who was a prominent figure in the literary circles of Havana.
Throughout its history, the surname MANEL has maintained strong roots in Catalonia, where it continues to be a common surname to this day. While the name has spread to other regions, its origins can be traced back to the medieval period in northeastern Spain, where it was born from the Latin personal name Emanuelus.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Manel
Among Census respondents with the surname Manel, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (11.9%) and Hispanic (10.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Manel 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 Manel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White71.6% · 78
- Asian and Pacific Islander11.9% · 13
- Hispanic or Latino10.1% · 11
- Black or African American2.8% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 2
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Manel
Manel 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
#133,863
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 126
-13 bearers (-9.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 17,740 places
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-17 bearers (-13.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 16,342 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #116,123 | 139 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #133,863 | 126 | 0.04 | -13 bearers (-9.4%) | Down 17,740 places |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | -17 bearers (-13.5%) | Down 16,342 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 Manel 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 | #133,863 | #150,205 | -12.2% |
| Count | 126 | 109 | -13.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Manel bearers went from 126 to 109 (-13.5% change). The surname moved down 16,342 positions in the national ranking, going from #133,863 to #150,205.
FAQ
Manel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Manel?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Manel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Manel?
Manel ranks #150,205 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 109 people with the surname Manel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Manel.
Has Manel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Manel went from 126 recorded bearers to 109. That is a decrease of 17 (-13.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #133,863 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Manel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Manel, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (11.9%) and Hispanic (10.1%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Manel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 71.6% (78 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Manel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (71.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (11.9%), Hispanic (10.1%). 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 Manel (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 Manel mean?
A Catalan surname referring to a person from the town of Manella. 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 Manel (0.04 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 are called Manel?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Manel on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.