Manuel
Below 5 births
2025 SSA
About Manuel
Popular among Hispanic communities but also used internationally, Manuel is a name with a regal history.
In use since the 13th century, Manuel was likely brought to Spain and Portugal from the Byzantine Empire thanks to connections between their royal families. Borne by two Byzantine emperors and two Portuguese kings, Manuel has been used fairly consistently throughout history and into the present.
In the US, Manuel has been a staple feature in the Top 1000 since the data began to be collected in the late 19th century. Until recently, this Spanish variant had always outranked its English counterpart, but since the mid 2000s, Manuel has been in decline while Emmanuel has been on the rise.
Still in the Top 500, but at its lowest ever rank, Manuel is currently given to around 1000 boys each year in the States.
Across the globe, Manuel has fared better. It remains well used in Spain, Portugal and Italy, across South America, and in The Netherlands and Germany too.
Manny and Manu are popular nickname options, with Manu gaining traction as a stand-alone choice in The Netherlands.
Manuel is also given to girls.
Pronounced MAN-yoo-uhl.
As of October 2026, Manuel ranked #16826 in US births in 2022 SSA, peaked at #1745 in 1934.
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank · girls | Births · girls | US rank · boys | Births · boys |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | — | 0 | #265 | 1,382 |
| 2015 | — | 0 | #283 | 1,297 |
| 2016 | — | 0 | #280 | 1,301 |
| 2017 | — | 0 | #274 | 1,327 |
| 2018 | — | 0 | #289 | 1,218 |
| 2019 | — | 0 | #298 | 1,147 |
| 2020 | — | 0 | #323 | 1,018 |
| 2021 | — | 0 | #321 | 1,036 |
| 2022 | — | 0 | #316 | 1,064 |
| 2023 | — | 0 | #333 | 1,008 |
| 2024 | — | 0 | #351 | 954 |
| 2025 | — | 0 | #371 | 860 |
World rankings
Similar names
These 20 names were selected by our users looking for other names like Manuel.
Manuel on lists
Famous Manuels
- Manuel IBoy
King of Portugal
- Manuel II (Manuel Maria Filipe Carlos Amélio Luís Miguel Rafael Gabriel Gonzaga Xavier Francisco de Assis Eugénio)Boy
last King of Portugal
- Manuel Luis Quezón (y Molina)Boy
2nd president of the Philippines
- Manuel Acuña RoxasBoy
5th president of the Philippines
- Manuel Carlos VallsBoy
former Prime Minister of France
- Manuel de Falla (y Matheu)Boy
Spanish composer
- Manuel I KomnenosBoy
Byzantine Emperor
- Manuel Orantes (Corral)Boy
Spanish tennis player
- Manuel Antonio Noriega (Moreno)Boy
Panamanian dictator
- Manuel José Joaquín del Corazón de Jesús BelgranoBoy
Argentine revolutionary
- Manuel Peter NeuerBoy
German footballer
- LinBoy
Manuel Miranda, American composer and actor
- Manuel "Manian" ReuterBoy
German music producer of "Twoloud"
- Manuel José Francisco António Caetano Estêvão BartolomeuBoy
Infante of Portugal; son of Peter II
- Manuel Maria Alexander Leopold JörgBoy
Prince of Bavaria
- Manuel Rengifo Diaz (aka Mesajah)Boy
Polish,Peruvian Reggae singer
Manuel in pop culture
- Manuel ManzanoBoy
character in "Sims" series
- Manuel Alberto Javier Alejandro "Manny" DelgadoBoy
character on TV's "Modern Family"