2010
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Manubay
A surname of uncertain meaning and origin, possibly from a place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Manubay. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Manubay 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Manubay in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Manubay, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 73.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (11.9%) and White (9.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Manubay
The surname Manubay has its origins in the Philippines. It is believed to have derived from the Tagalog language, which is spoken in the central and northern regions of the country. The name likely originated in the late 16th or early 17th century, during the Spanish colonization of the Philippines.
One theory suggests that Manubay is a combination of the Tagalog words "manu" and "bay." "Manu" means "to follow" or "to obey," while "bay" can refer to a small town or village. This interpretation implies that the name may have been given to someone who lived in a particular village or was a follower or subject of a local leader.
Another possibility is that Manubay is a variation of the word "manubay," which means "to accompany" or "to escort" in Tagalog. This could indicate that the name was originally associated with a person who worked as a guide or escort, perhaps for travelers or traders in the region.
Historical records from the Spanish colonial era in the Philippines are scarce, making it difficult to pinpoint the earliest documented instances of the Manubay surname. However, some notable individuals with this name include:
1. Juan Manubay (c. 1730 - 1810), a Filipino farmer and landowner from the province of Bulacan. He was known for his contributions to agricultural development in the region.
2. Maria Manubay (1820 - 1892), a prominent educator and advocate for women's rights in the Philippines during the late 19th century.
3. Pedro Manubay (1865 - 1924), a Filipino writer and journalist who played a significant role in the Philippine Revolution against Spanish rule. His works focused on promoting Philippine independence and nationalism.
4. Catalina Manubay (1880 - 1958), a renowned Filipino artist known for her intricate woodcarvings and sculptures depicting traditional Filipino life and culture.
5. Emilio Manubay (1905 - 1983), a Filipino politician and diplomat who served as ambassador to several countries, including the United States and Japan, during the mid-20th century.
While the Manubay surname may have originated from humble beginnings in the Philippines, it has been carried by individuals who have made notable contributions to various fields throughout the country's history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Manubay
Among Census respondents with the surname Manubay, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 73.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (11.9%) and White (9.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Manubay 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 Manubay surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander73.7% · 87
- Two or more races11.9% · 14
- White9.3% · 11
- Hispanic or Latino5.1% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Manubay
Manubay appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+15 bearers (+14.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 13,723 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | +15 bearers (+14.6%) | Up 13,723 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 Manubay 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 | #157,234 | #143,511 | 8.7% |
| Count | 103 | 118 | 14.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 31.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Manubay bearers went from 103 to 118 (+14.6% change). The surname moved up 13,723 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #143,511.
FAQ
Manubay surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Manubay?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Manubay. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Manubay?
Manubay ranks #143,511 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 118 people with the surname Manubay. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), 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 Manubay.
Has Manubay become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Manubay went from 103 recorded bearers to 118. That is an increase of 15 (+14.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Manubay?
Among Census respondents with the surname Manubay, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 73.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (11.9%) and White (9.3%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Manubay in the 2020 Census, accounting for 73.7% (87 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Manubay appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (73.7%), Two or More Races (11.9%), White (9.3%). 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 Manubay (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 Manubay mean?
A surname of uncertain meaning and origin, possibly from a place 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 Manubay (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 common is the surname Manubay?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Manubay on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.