Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Manuel

The name Manuel is the Spanish and Portuguese version of the Hebrew 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.’ The name Manuel has been around since the 12th century, and was borne by two Byzantium Emperors of Constantinople. Manual I of Komnenos reigned during a critical point in the Byzantium and the Mediterranean history as he assisted the Second Crusaders from the west and expanded his empire through aggressive foreign policies. Manuel was also the name of two Kings of Portugal and several Mexican presidents.

All About the Baby Name – Manuel

Personality

OF THE BOY NAME MANUEL

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 MANUEL

Interestingly, the name Manuel has been in use in America longer than the older Hebrew name Emmanuel. Manuel dates back to 1880, the first year the U.S. government began tracking naming trends. Not only that, but Manuel has enjoyed consistent moderate-high usage for well very a century. Mainly influenced by the Hispanic and Latino populations in the United States, the name has experienced remarkably steady usage (rather than slow growth as we’ve seen with other Spanish-influenced male names). Manuel is ranked #15 most popular boy’s name in Spain (2009) and in Mexico (while they prefer Emmanuel/Emanuel); Manuel is an often-used second name, as in José Manuel, Victor Manuel or Juan Manuel. In America, Manuel is a Top 100 favorite boy name in the state of New Mexico, which also happens to be the state with the highest concentration of Latinos (46% in 2010). The nickname Manny is also commonly used for little boys named Manuel. Manuel has that ever-elusive “coolness” factor about it; it’s a manly name. And the “God is with us” etymology serves as a nice reminder for those of the religious persuasion.

Quick Facts

ON MANUEL

GENDER:

Boy

ORIGIN:

Spanish

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

2

RANKING POPULARITY:

246

PRONUNCIATION:

mah-NWEL or mahn-yoo-EL

SIMPLE MEANING:

God is with us

Characteristics

OF MANUEL

Communicative

Creative

Optimistic

Popular

Social

Dramatic

Happy

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Manuel

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME MANUEL

Manuel is the gardener to Judge Miller, who starts the action by stealing and selling the dog, Buck, in Jack London’s most popular work, The Call of the Wild, published in 1903. But he really isn’t a bad guy – he just needs the money to pay his gambling-habit debts and feed his family, and he truly agonizes over it, regretting his part in betraying the trust of a fine animal. And, after all, Buck encounters a whole new life in the wild and finds his métier, transforming from a pampered doggie into a true son of wolves. For his sins, Manuel pays dearly, with imprisonment and heart rending remorse, and we’re on his side.

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME MANUEL

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Manuel


Popular Songs

ON MANUEL

Richard Manuel Is Dead
a song by the Counting Crows

Danko/Manuel
a song by Drive-By Truckers

All My Love (Richard Manuel Is Dead)
a song by Counting Crows

Famous People

NAMED MANUEL

Manny Ramírez (baseball player)
Manny Puig (wildlife educator/conservationist)
Manuel Roxas (former President of the Philippines)
Manuel Rivera-Ortiz (photographer)
Manuel Ávila Camacho (former President of Mexico)
Manuel "Manny" Corpas (baseball player)
Manuel de Falla (composer)
Manuel González Flores (former President of Mexico)
Manuel Lee (baseball player)
Manuel María Lombardini (former President of Mexico)
Manuel Gómez Pedraza (former President of Mexico)
Manuel Robles Pezuela (former President of Mexico)
Manuel L. Quezon (former President of the Philippines)

Children of Famous People

NAMED MANUEL

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

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME MANUEL

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