Total births
191,584
Boys' name · since 1880
Manuel
191,584 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.
- #351
- among boys today
- 191,584
- born since 1880
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 98%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Manuel is the #351 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 191,584 recorded since 1880.
Manuel has 191,584 recorded births among boys since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #351 as of the latest data, more common than 98% of boys, busiest in the 1990s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #351 among boys today
- 191,584 born since 1880
- 1990s peak decade
- 98% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Manuel is currently the #351 boys' name in America, more common than 98% of boys - 191,584 born since 1880, peaking in the 1990s.
- #351
- among boys today
- 191,584
- born since 1880
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 98%
- more common than other boys
Manuel vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#351
of 14,294 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.
How Manuel compares
191,584 Top 1% higher than 99% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Manuel's all-time total is 522x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Manuel | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 191,584 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 2,665 | 23 | 22,252 |
Manuel's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Manuel's SSA record in two at 1953 and the more recent half accounts for 69% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 31%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1881, with only 57 births recorded -- set against the 2005 peak of 2,665, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Manuel at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
2005
Current rank
#351
Active since
1880
Manuel popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (2005)
- 2,665
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Manuel popularity over time - girls
1,158 total births recorded since 1916 (Manuel as girls' name)
Manuel by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1990s was Manuel's strongest decade.
24,176 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 13% of all-time use.
Manuel births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 802
1880s
802 births
- 1890s 952
1890s
952 births
- 1900s 1,751
1900s
1,751 births
- 1910s 8,370
1910s
8,370 births
- 1920s
1920s
15,664 births
- 1930s
1930s
12,330 births
- 1940s
1940s
14,186 births
- 1950s
1950s
16,376 births
- 1960s
1960s
16,036 births
- 1970s
1970s
17,697 births
- 1980s
1980s
19,985 births
- 1990s
1990s
24,176 births
- 2000s
2000s
23,444 births
- 2010s
2010s
13,869 births
- 2020s 5,946
2020s
5,946 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 24,176 births (13% of all-time use).
How Manuel compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Manuel's total volume
Manuel vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Manuel by state
Where Manuel concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 55,080 | 28.7% |
| #2 | Texas | | 45,689 | 23.8% |
| #3 | New York | | 11,188 | 5.8% |
| #4 | Arizona | | 10,924 | 5.7% |
| #5 | New Mexico | | 7,526 | 3.9% |
| #6 | Florida | | 6,107 | 3.2% |
| #7 | Illinois | | 5,930 | 3.1% |
| #8 | Massachusetts | | 5,408 | 2.8% |
California share of Manuel's total US births 28.7%
Even split
55,080 of 191,584 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? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 191,584 babies named Manuel. Today it holds rank #351 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 2005, with 2,665 births.
When was Manuel most popular? ▼
Manuel was most popular in the 1990s decade with 24,176 total births. The single peak year was 2005.
Where is Manuel most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Manuel are California (55,080 births), Texas (45,689 births), New York (11,188 births).
How long has the name Manuel been used? ▼
Records for Manuel go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Manuel? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Manny, Manley, Manning, Manolo, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Manuel's data
- Manuel's decade-level peak was the 1990s (24,176 total births); usage has since declined to 5,946 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Manuels (55,080 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Manuel
Nearby Names Like Manuel
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Manuel
Manny Boy
#2679 4,087 births
Manley Boy
2,251 births
Manning Boy
#4711 1,840 births
Manolo Boy
#1987 1,524 births
Manford Boy
1,479 births
Compare Manuel side by side: Manuel vs Manny Manuel vs Manley Manuel vs Manning
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Manuel
Andre #350
130,656 births · Peak 1970
Fernando #352
103,139 births · Peak 2006
Cayden #349
41,245 births · Peak 2009
Rhys #353
14,334 births · Peak 2024
Luciano #348
17,631 births · Peak 2025
Colson #354
9,729 births · Peak 2025
Dariel #347
8,962 births · Peak 2025
Cairo #355
9,415 births · Peak 2022
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Manuel: #351 Boys' Name - 191,584 Births, Peak 2005." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/manuel. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Manuel draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.