2000
#6,850
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,523
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.68
Rare Last name
Manis
Greek surname derived from a nickname meaning "gentle" or "mild-mannered."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,905 Americans carry the last name Manis. That puts it at #7,510 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.43 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 69,879 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Manis 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
4.9K
1 in 69,879
Census rank
#7,510
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,277 bearers of the surname Manis in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.43 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7510th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Manis, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Manis
The surname MANIS is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, derived from the Old English word "mænan," meaning "to signify" or "to express." It was likely an occupational surname given to those who worked as heralds or messengers, conveying important messages or proclamations.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Mannis." This historical record suggests that the name was already in use by the late 11th century in various parts of England, particularly in counties like Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire.
During the 13th century, the name took on various spellings, such as "Mannes," "Mannis," and "Manis," reflecting the phonetic variations of the time. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and the scribes who recorded the names.
Notable individuals bearing the MANIS surname include Sir William Manis (c. 1450-1515), a prominent English politician and landowner who served as a member of Parliament during the reign of King Henry VIII. Another figure of note is John Manis (c. 1570-1642), a renowned scholar and theologian who held the position of Regius Professor of Greek at the University of Cambridge.
In the 17th century, the name MANIS appeared in various parish records and historical documents across England. One such record is the baptismal entry of Thomas Manis in the parish of St. Mary's, Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, dated 1635.
During the 18th century, the surname MANIS gained further recognition with figures like Robert Manis (1712-1789), a respected merchant and philanthropist from London, and Elizabeth Manis (1738-1812), a renowned author and poet whose works explored themes of nature and morality.
As the centuries progressed, the MANIS surname spread to other parts of the British Isles and beyond, with many individuals bearing the name contributing to various fields, including academia, literature, and public service.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Manis
Among Census respondents with the surname Manis, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Manis 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 Manis surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.0% · 3,934
- Two or more races3.5% · 150
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 124
- Black or African American1.0% · 44
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 13
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Manis
Manis 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
#7,124
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,696
+173 bearers (+3.8%)
Per 100,000 1.59
Rank movement Down 274 places
2020
#7,510
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,277
-419 bearers (-8.9%)
Per 100,000 1.43
Rank movement Down 386 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,850 | 4,523 | 1.68 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,124 | 4,696 | 1.59 | +173 bearers (+3.8%) | Down 274 places |
| 2020 | #7,510 | 4,277 | 1.43 | -419 bearers (-8.9%) | Down 386 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 Manis 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 | #7,124 | #7,510 | -5.4% |
| Count | 4,696 | 4,277 | -8.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.59 | 1.43 | -10.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Manis bearers went from 4,696 to 4,277 (-8.9% change). The surname moved down 386 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,124 to #7,510.
FAQ
Manis surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Manis?
Name Census estimates that about 4,905 living Americans carry the surname Manis. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 69,879 residents.
How common is Manis?
Manis ranks #7,510 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.43 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 4,277 people with the surname Manis. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,905), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.43 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.43 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 Manis.
Has Manis become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Manis went from 4,696 recorded bearers to 4,277. That is a decrease of 419 (-8.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,124 to #7,510.
What does the Census say about the background of Manis?
Among Census respondents with the surname Manis, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (2.9%). 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 Manis in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.0% (3,934 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Manis appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.0%), Two or More Races (3.5%), Hispanic (2.9%). 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 Manis (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 Manis mean?
Greek surname derived from a nickname meaning "gentle" or "mild-mannered." 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 Manis (1.43 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 Americans have the surname Manis?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.