Given name & surname
Manuel
“God is with us”
In French use, Manuel is a diminutive of Emmanuel. One Hebrew interpretation is “God is with us.”
Original Spanishมานูเอล
Meaning & origin
What it means
In Spanish use, Manuel carries the interpretation “God is with us.” In French use, Manuel is a diminutive of Emmanuel. One Hebrew interpretation is “God is with us.”
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Spanish.
How it developed
In Spanish use, Manuel is used as a form of Emmanuel.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. In French use, Manuel is a diminutive of 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
Manuel through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 192,742
- 191,584 boys · 1,158 girls
- Most popular year
- 2005
- 2,665 babies
- 2025
- 860
- #371 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −18%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 860 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 371 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 18.0% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 2,665 in 2005. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (187). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 240,816 as a first name in 2020; 26,670 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Manuel’s family of names
In French usage, Manuel is a diminutive of Emmanuel. Manuel has a feminine form in Manuela. In Spanish usage, Manuel has a related form in Emanuel.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Manuel has relatives in 23 languages. Lines run from its Spanish roots to each of them.
Nicknames & forms 31
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Emanuelvariant · Spanish, English
- Manolodiminutive · Spanish, Tagalog
- Manudiminutive · Spanish, French
- Manuelitodiminutive · Spanish, Tagalog
- Mañungodiminutive · Spanish
- Juanmadiminutive · Spanish
- Emmanuelfull form · French, German
- Immanuelvariant · German
Show 23 moreShow fewer
- Manuelavariant · Hawaiian
- Mannyvariant
- Neldiminutive · Asturian
- Litodiminutive · ceb
- Mannuellikely variant
- Manualvariant · English
- Mannievariant
- Manolitovariant
- Manolapet form
- Mmanuellikely variant
- Nonongdiminutive · Tagalog
- Maningdiminutive · Tagalog
- Manmandiminutive · ceb
- Manneavariant
- Manneevariant
- Manneyvariant
- Mannivariant
- Manollovariant
- Manuellovariant
- Manuelovariant · Esperanto
- Manoelvariant · Portuguese
- Manolitapet form
- Manoletepet form
Spellings & scripts 4
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 25
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- Neloequivalent
- Emanueleequivalent
- Manolisequivalent
- Manousosequivalent
- Μάνοςequivalent
- منالequivalent
- Μανόληςequivalent
- Μανούσοςequivalent
Show 17 moreShow fewer
- Μανώληςequivalent
- Manduequivalent
- ΕμμανουήλGreek
- Manuwèlcognate · Walloon
- Emmanouilequivalent
- Manwelequivalent
- Manosequivalent
- ManojloSerbian
- МанојлоSerbian
- МануилRussian, Bulgarian
- МануелMacedonian
- ManueleItalian
- מנואלHebrew
- ΜανουήλAncient Greek, Greek
- Manelalso known as · Catalan, Portuguese
- МануілBelarusian
- مانويلArabic
People named Manuel
- Manuel NeuerGerman association football player (born 1986)
- Manuel VallsFrench and Spanish politicianborn 1962
- Manuel I KomnenosByzantine Emperor1118–1180
- Manuel NoriegaPanamanian head of state (1934-2017)
- Manuel Azañaprime minister of Spain, president of Spain (1880-1940)
- Manuel I of PortugalKing of Portugal from 1495 to 15211469–1521
- Manuel II PalaiologosByzantine emperor (1350-1425)
- Deodoro da FonsecaPresident of Brazil (1827-1892)
- Manuel II of PortugalKing of Portugal (1889–1932)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Manuel, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Juan
“God is gracious”
>99% boys
Aaron
“Exalted” · “mountain of strength”
>99% boys
Daniel
“God is my judge”
>99% boys
Giovanni
“God is gracious”
>99% boys
Diego
“he who supplants”
>99% boys
Samuel
“God has heard” · “asked of God”
>99% boys
Mark
“dedicated to Mars, the god of war”
>99% boys
Nathan
“he has given” · “God has given”
>99% boys