Given name

Immanuel

“God is with us”·“the second-born child”

Immanuel has a related form in Emmanuel. One Hebrew interpretation is “God is with us.” In Finnish use, Immanuel is a short form of Manu. One African interpretation is “the second-born child.”

Original GermanEmmanuel

Find names like Immanuel

Biblical

Meaning & origin

What it means

In German use, Immanuel carries the interpretation “God is with us.” Immanuel has a related form in Emmanuel. One Hebrew interpretation is “God is with us.” In Finnish use, Immanuel is a short form of Manu. One African interpretation is “the second-born child.”

Combines direct and name-family evidence

Where it comes from

An origin associated with this spelling is German.

How it developed

Immanuel is used as a variant of Emmanuel.

The story

Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1917. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. Immanuel has a related form in Emmanuel. The history of Emmanuel gives this family its wider story. Emmanuel appears in biblical tradition, giving it a longstanding religious and cultural context.

Combines direct and name-family evidence

In the Bible

In the Bible, the name Immanuel appears in Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:23, Matthew 1:21.

Isaiah 7:14
Matthew 1:23
Matthew 1:21

From biblical name research

Immanuel through the years

Babies since 1880: 6,146; 6,146 boys · 0 girls
Most popular year: 2015; 239 babies
2025: 168; #1,207 for boys
2021–25 vs 2016–20: −17%; Easing

Immanuel in U.S. Social Security birth records, 1917–2025, per million boys born. Years with fewer than five births for a sex are not published and appear as zero. Use the arrow keys to step through years.

Where it’s given

Most at home inVirginia, Massachusetts, Maryland

FewerMore, relative to births Not published

2025 births by state of birth. Tiles are equal-sized so small states stay visible. Highest rates: Virginia (12), Massachusetts (6), Maryland (5), Pennsylvania (11), Indiana (5).

By the numbers

In 2025, this name appeared in 168 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 1,207 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 16.8% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 239 in 2015. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (19). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 4,225 as a first name in 2020.

From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.

Immanuel’s family of names

In Finnish usage, Immanuel is a short form of Manu. Immanuel developed from Emmanuel. In German usage, Immanuel has a related form in Manuel.

Walk Immanuel’s family in the name graph

Around the world

Immanuel has relatives in 21 languages. Lines run from its German roots to each of them.

Germanwhere Immanuel comes from · 4 names

Each dot marks where a language is rooted, not where people with the name live today. Bigger dots hold more names. Dots on the border stand for languages further away. Language locations from Glottolog (CC BY 4.0); map from Natural Earth.

Nicknames & forms 18

Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.

Show 10 moreShow fewer

Spellings & scripts 1

The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.

Immanúellikely spelling

Across languages 20

Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.

Show 12 moreShow fewer

People named Immanuel

Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.

Appears in

Similar names

If you love Immanuel, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.

Hebrew · Biblical

Sibling ideas

Names that share Immanuel’s feel without repeating its first letter or rhyming with it.

A brother for Immanuel

A sister for Immanuel

Your shortlist