Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Emmanuel

The name Emmanuel comes from the Old Testament, in the Book of Isaiah, in reference to the promised Messiah. “Therefore 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) by recounting the original prophet’s words and adding that Immanuel means “God is with us.” The Hebrew word “El” means ‘God’ and “immānū” means ‘with us.’ Similar to the name Jesús, people of English origin felt that bestowing the name Emmanuel upon their sons was tantamount to an offensive display of immodesty. 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. As a New England colonial (probably Puritan) minister once explained in 1629: “Emmanuel is too bold. The name is properly to Christ and therefore not to be communicated to any creature.”

All About the Baby Name – Emmanuel

Personality

OF THE BOY NAME EMMANUEL

The Three energy is powerful and enthusiastic. These personalities are cheerful, full of self-expression, and often quite emotional. They have an artistic flair and "gift-of-gab" that makes them natural entertainers. Their joyfulness bubbles over, and their infectious exuberance draws a crowd. The Three personality is like a child - forever young and full of delight. They are charming, witty, and generally happy people. The Three personality lives in the "now" and has a spontaneous nature. Threes seem to live with a bright and seemingly unbreakable aura that attracts others to them. In turn, they are deeply loyal and loving to their friends and family. Luck also has a tendency to favor number Threes.

Popularity

OF THE BOY NAME EMMANUEL

The name Emmanuel entered the U.S. popularity charts in the late 1940s, even though it showed up sporadically with low usage before then. For the most part, Emmanuel does not become a regularly used name in America until the 1950s. The name’s popularity has grown along with the Hispanic/Latino population in the United States in the past several decades, but the name is also a choice among African-Americans (ethnic groups who are more celebratory about the Christ connotations). Together with two other variations of the name (i.e., Emanuel and Manuel), the name is quite a bit more popular than first meets the eye. However, we have noticed that all three forms of the name have gone slightly backwards on the charts in the past couple of years. Emmanuel and Manuel are both usually nicknamed “Manny”. Along with its ancient biblical significance and the loosening of religious taboos, we expect to see this name embraced by white people of non-Hispanic origin as the years progress.

Quick Facts

ON EMMANUEL

GENDER:

Boy

ORIGIN:

African-American

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

4

RANKING POPULARITY:

171

PRONUNCIATION:

ә-MAN-yoo-әl

SIMPLE MEANING:

God is with us

Characteristics

OF EMMANUEL

Communicative

Creative

Optimistic

Popular

Social

Dramatic

Happy

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Emmanuel

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME EMMANUEL

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

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME EMMANUEL

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Emmanuel


Popular Songs

ON EMMANUEL

O Come, O Come Emmanuel
a song by Jaci Velasquez

Emmanuel, God with Us
a song by Amy Grant

Emmanuel
a song by Amy Grant

Famous People

NAMED EMMANUEL

Emmanuel “Manny” Burriss (baseball player)
Emmanuel Eboué (soccer player)
Emanuel Leutze (American painter)
Emmanuel Levinas (philosopher)
Emmanuel Lewis (actor)
Emmanuel Philibert (16th century Duke of Savor, Italian)
Manuel I of Portugal (king of Portugal)
Manuel II of Portugal (king of Portugal)
Emmanuel (Mexican singer)
Emmanuel de Grouchy (French military)
Immanuel Kant (German philosopher)

Children of Famous People

NAMED EMMANUEL

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

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME EMMANUEL

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