Manuel
How to say it: man-WEL · /mænˈwɛl/
Spanish and Portuguese form of Emmanuel, from Hebrew 'Immanuel' meaning 'God is with us'.
Manuel was the 381st most popular boys’ name in the United States in 2025, given to 860 babies (Social Security Administration). Its busiest decade was the 1920s, its births are down about 34% in ten years, and it is projected to slip to #443 by 2030.
Updated · SSA 2025 data, published May 2026 · Insee 2025 data, published July 2026 · How we compute these figures
Key facts
| Rank among boys’ names, 2025 | #381 |
|---|---|
| Babies born in 2025 | 860 |
| Share of births | 1 in 3,855 |
| Peak decade | 1920s |
| Change over 10 years | −34% |
| Projected rank for 2030 (estimate) | #443 |
| In France, 2025 | #813 among boys’ names, 35 births |
Sources: Social Security Administration (SSA), Insee (France). How we compute these figures.
Its life, decade by decade
Never dropping from use, Manuel reached its height in the 1920s. It rests well below that height and is likely to ease lower from here.
What goes with it
Mellow and soft with a gentle fall, Manuel carries biblical roots and travels well. Luis joins it easily.
Middle names that flow with Manuel →
Parents who love Manuel also love
Nicknames
- Manu
- Manolo
Honouring a Manuel in the family
In the classroom
In a class of 25 children born in 2025, the chance that another child is called Manuel is about 1 in 161.
Around the world
This spelling is used in Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish.
In France: #813 for boys in 2025.
Famous people named Manuel
- Manuel Valls (born 1962)French and Spanish politician
- Manuel I Komnenos (1118–1180)Byzantine Emperor
- Manuel Azaña (1880–1940)Prime minister of Spain, president of Spain
From Wikidata and Wikipedia
Good to know
- Manuel — iconic confused Spanish waiter in BBC sitcom Fawlty Towers; dominant UK association
Keep exploring
About as popular as Manuel
In the same lists
Find names you'll both love, starting with Manuel
The one-minute style quiz.