US rank #351 Boys' name Peak 2005 190,712 births

Manuel — #351 US boys' name

190,712 babies named Manuel in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 2005. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.

1880s8021890s9521900s17511910s83711920s156631930s123301940s141861950s163751960s160381970s176971980s199831990s241742000s234422010s138682020s5080
#351
of 14,243 boys in use

More common than 98% of names given to boys today.

1990s
Peak decade

13% of everyone ever named Manuel was born in this single decade.

2005
Single peak year

2,665 babies were named Manuel in 2005 — its busiest year on record.

What the Data Says About Manuel

The Social Security Administration has registered 190,712 babies named Manuel between 1880 and 2024, spanning 145 consecutive years of U.S. birth records. As a boy's name, Manuel currently holds the #351 rank among boys for 2024. The name reached its historical peak in 2005, when 2,665 babies received it in a single year.

Decade-level aggregation shows that Manuel performed strongest in the 1990s, accumulating 24,174 births during that ten-year window. Across the 15 decades of recorded activity, Manuel shows a clear decline from its mid-century high. Geographically, the name is most concentrated in California, which accounts for 54,890 births — the largest state-level total in the dataset — followed by Texas and New York. In total, SSA state-level files list Manuel in 45 of the 51 U.S. reporting jurisdictions.

No etymological entry is currently available for Manuel in our reference dataset. These figures derive from SSA's annual national and state-level name files, which include any name appearing at least five times in a given year or state-year; names below that threshold are suppressed for privacy and therefore excluded from the totals shown here. The 190,712 total represents a lower bound — actual usage may be higher in years or states where the count fell below the disclosure floor. This page is provided for informational and research purposes only and does not constitute personal, legal, or naming advice.

Manuel at a glance

Top 1,000 boys' name

Total births

190,712

Since 1880

145 years of records

Peak year

2005

2,665 births that year

Strongest decade: 1990s

Current rank

#351

Among boys

As of 2024

Active since

1880

Recorded for 145 years

Last year on file: 2024

Manuel popularity over time — boys

Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 2024–1880

Top 1,000 boys' name
Peak year (2005)
2,665
Annual births at peak — across 145 years of records
-1,00001,0002,0003,000 202420051986196719481929191018911880 75

Manuel popularity over time — girls

1,158 total births recorded since 1916 (Manuel as girls' name)

Unisex variant — 1,158 births
0102030 202219921981197019591947193619251916 7

Manuel by decade

Total births in each ten-year window — peak vs trough at a glance

Peak: 1990s
Peak decade
1990s
24,174 births that decade — 13% of Manuel's all-time total
1880s8021890s9521900s17511910s83711920s156631930s123301940s141861950s163751960s160381970s176971980s199831990s241742000s234422010s138682020s5080

Manuel by state

Where Manuel concentrates geographically — total births since 1880

Regionally concentrated
Top 8 states by recorded births for the name Manuel
Rank State Visual share Births Share of total
#1 California
54,890 28.8%
#2 Texas
45,508 23.9%
#3 New York
11,159 5.9%
#4 Arizona
10,871 5.7%
#5 New Mexico
7,517 3.9%
#6 Florida
6,046 3.2%
#7 Illinois
5,905 3.1%
#8 Massachusetts
5,393 2.8%
California share of Manuel's total US births 28.8%
Even split

54,890 of 190,712 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 45 reporting states.

Manuel appears in 45 states. Explore state details →

Frequently Asked Questions

How popular is the name Manuel?
190,712 babies have been named Manuel since 1880. It currently ranks #351 among boys. The peak year was 2005 with 2,665 births.
When was Manuel most popular?
Manuel was most popular in the 1990s decade with 24,174 total births. The single peak year was 2005.
Where is Manuel most popular?
The top states for the name Manuel are California (54,890 births), Texas (45,508 births), New York (11,159 births).
How long has the name Manuel been used?
Manuel has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 145 years of data through 2024.
What names are similar to Manuel?
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Manny, Manley, Manning, Manford, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.

Keep exploring Manuel

Nearby Names Like Manuel

Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Manuel

Names with a similar popularity rank to Manuel

Baby Name Guides

Learn more about naming trends and how to use data to choose a name

Explore more names

Data Sources

Data as of 2024. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).

Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications — National Data, 1880–2024 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames). National-level data includes all names with 5 or more occurrences in a given year.

State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names — State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip). Includes all names with 5 or more occurrences per state per year; rarer names are excluded for privacy.