Manuel is a masculine given name of Spanish and Portuguese origin. It is derived from the Hispanic surname "Manuel," which means "God is with us" or "Gift from God." The name Manuel was traditionally bestowed upon boys born on a Saturday, as it was believed to have been the day of the week on which Jesus Christ appeared after his resurrection.
The popularity of the name Manuel can be traced back to medieval Spain, where it was used as a personal name and also as a title for kings. The first known use of the name in Spain is found in the 13th-century Cantigas de Santa Maria, a collection of songs and poems honoring the Virgin Mary. In these texts, Manuel appears as a Moorish slave who converts to Christianity.
Over time, the name Manuel spread beyond Spain and became popular in other Spanish-speaking countries, as well as in France, Italy, and Brazil. Today, it is still widely used throughout Europe and Latin America.
Some famous bearers of the name Manuel include Portuguese explorer Manuel de Faria e Sousa (1602-1681), Spanish writer Manuel González Martínez (1879-1953), Brazilian footballer Manuel Francisco dos Santos (born 1946), also known as "Garrincha," and American actor and director Manuel Gil del Bosque (born 1968).
Based on the annual birth statistics for the name Manuel in the United States from 1916 to 2022, we can observe several trends and patterns.
The name Manuel first appeared with a notable number of births in 1916, with 7 babies named Manuel born that year. The popularity of the name grew steadily over the following years, reaching a peak in 1934 with 20 births. This trend continued throughout the 1930s and early 1940s, with the number of annual births ranging between 6 and 20.
However, starting from the mid-1940s, there was a decline in the popularity of the name Manuel. The lowest point was reached in 1953, with only 6 births that year. This downward trend continued until the late 1960s, with annual birth counts ranging between 8 and 19.
The popularity of the name began to increase again in the early 1970s, reaching a new peak in 1975 with 24 births. This trend continued throughout the decade, with the number of annual births for Manuel consistently above 20 until the late 1980s.
After a brief decline in the popularity of the name in the early 1990s, the birth count stabilized between 7 and 21 per year from 1993 to 2006. Since then, there has been another decline in popularity, with only 5 births recorded in 2022.
In total, over the period from 1916 to 2022, there were 1158 babies named Manuel born in the United States. While the name has had periods of high and low popularity throughout the decades, it has remained a consistent choice for parents, with at least some births recorded annually since its first appearance in 1916.