Find out how popular the last name Manuel is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Manuel.

Manuel, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Manuel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Manuel in America

Manuel is the 1277th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Manuel surname appeared 27,529 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 9 people would have the surname Manuel.

We can also compare 2010 data for Manuel to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Manuel

The surname MANUEL is of Spanish origin, derived from the given name Manuel, which ultimately traces its roots back to the Hebrew name Emmanu'el, meaning "God is with us." The name first emerged in the Iberian Peninsula during the Middle Ages.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the MANUEL surname can be found in the Codex Calixtinus, a 12th-century manuscript from Santiago de Compostela, which mentions a certain "Petrus Manuel" among the pilgrims who visited the city. This suggests that the name was already in use by that time.

During the 14th and 15th centuries, the MANUEL surname gained prominence in various parts of Spain, particularly in the regions of Castile, Andalusia, and Aragon. It was often associated with noble families and prominent figures in the Spanish court.

One notable bearer of the MANUEL surname was Juan Manuel, Prince of Villena (1282-1349), a renowned Spanish nobleman, writer, and military leader. His literary work, "El Conde Lucanor," is considered a masterpiece of Spanish prose and a significant contribution to medieval literature.

Another prominent figure with the MANUEL surname was Gaspar Manuel (1629-1679), a Portuguese poet and playwright who played a crucial role in the development of Portuguese baroque literature. His works, such as "Viriato Trágico" and "Desenganado," were highly influential in their time.

In the 16th century, the MANUEL surname also spread to the Americas through Spanish colonization. One example is Tomás Manuel de Anchorena (1783-1847), an Argentine landowner and politician who played a significant role in the country's independence movement.

The MANUEL surname has also been associated with several notable figures in the arts and sciences. For instance, Juan Manuel Blanes (1830-1901) was a renowned Uruguayan painter known for his depictions of historical events and landscapes, while Juan Manuel Cajigal (1803-1856) was a distinguished Cuban poet and playwright.

Throughout its history, the MANUEL surname has undergone various spelling variations, such as Manoel, Manuell, and Manouel, reflecting regional differences and linguistic influences. However, the core meaning and origin of the name have remained consistent, tracing back to its Hebrew roots and the notion of "God being with us."

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Manuel

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Manuel.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Manuel was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Manuel has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Manuel was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Manuel, please contact us.

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