Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Emanuel

Emanuel is the Scandinavian, German, Romanian and Croatian spelling of Emmanuel or Immanuel. The name Emmanuel comes from the Old Testament, in the Book of Isaiah, in reference to the promised Messiah. The passage reads: “… the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” [Isaiah 7:14]. The name also appears in the New Testament in the Gospel According to Matthew (1:23) which gives meaning to the name Immanuel: “God is with us.” The Hebrew word “El” means ‘God’ and “immānū” means ‘with us.’ Similar to the name Jesus, people of English origin wouldn’t consider naming a child Emmanuel, believing it to be an offensive display of immodesty. In America, an early New England minister was quoted in 1629: “Emmanuel is too bold. The name is properly to Christ and therefore not to be communicated to any creature.” Other people of European descent have not shared this taboo, and the name has been used for centuries in Germany, France, Spain, Italy and Greece. Emanuel with one “m” is a particular favorite in Croatia where it is currently the 36th most popular boy’s name (2009).

All About the Baby Name – Emanuel

Personality

OF THE BOY NAME EMANUEL

The number Eight personality has everything to do with power, wealth and abundance. Somehow, this personality has been blessed on the material plane, but their authoritative and problem-solving traits provide evidence that their good fortunes are not just the luck of the lottery. They are well earned. This is the personality of CEOs and high-ranking military personnel. Eights are intensely active, hard-driving individuals. Success is only meaningful to them after a job well-done.  They are remarkable in their ability to see the larger picture right down to the smallest details, and organize a strategy around success. They then have the ability to direct a group around them toward any goal, and realize individual potential to get the most out of their team.

Popularity

OF THE BOY NAME EMANUEL

It’s interesting to see that Emanuel with one “m” has been around in America longer than Emmanuel with two “m”s. Not only that, but it’s enjoyed consistently stronger usage over the years, although Emmanuel is now the more popular spelling. Traditionally, Emanuel with one “m” is considered the Scandinavian, German, Romanian and Croatian spelling of the name while Emmanuel is used by the English and French. Manuel is traditionally Italian, Spanish and Portuguese and Imanol is Basque. Immanuel with an “I” is the Biblical Hebrew version of the name. All the names mean the same thing (God is with us) so it doesn’t really matter which spelling you prefer. I don’t think God will leave us if you choose one M instead of two!

Quick Facts

ON EMANUEL

GENDER:

Boy

ORIGIN:

German

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

4

RANKING POPULARITY:

322

PRONUNCIATION:

e-MAH-nuw-el

SIMPLE MEANING:

God is with us

Characteristics

OF EMANUEL

Authoritative

Powerful

Tough

Tenacious

Wealthy

Problem-solver

Achiever

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Emanuel

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME EMANUEL

We cannot find any significant literary characters by the name of Emanuel

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME EMANUEL

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Emanuel


Popular Songs

ON EMANUEL

O Come O Come Emanuel
a song by Whitney Houston

Famous People

NAMED EMANUEL

Emanuel Swedenborg (Swedish scientist, philospher, religious mystic)
Emanuel Bronner (businessman)
Emanuel de Witte (Dutch painter)
Emanuel “Manu” Ginobili (Argentinean Olympic basketball player)
Emanuel Leutze (painter)
Emanuel Rego (Brazilian Olympic beach volleyball player)
Emanuel “Manny” Schwartz (soccer player)
Emanuel I of Portugal (royalty)
Emanuel II of Portugal (royalty)
Emanuel Cvjetićanin (Austro-Hungarian Feldmarschalleutnant)

Children of Famous People

NAMED EMANUEL

We cannot find any children of famous people with the first name Emanuel

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME EMANUEL

We cannot find any historically significant people with the first name Emanuel