boy's name
Emanuel
i-MAN-yoo-el
- Origin Hebrew
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 4
- Letters 7
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 58,298
the United States
#574
2025 births
Emanuel began as a sign rather than a name — Isaiah tells Ahaz that a child will be called God with us as proof of a prophecy, and the phrase became a personal name only afterward.
- Emanuel is a name of Hebrew origin.
- Peaked in 2007, when 1,386 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 6,463 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 4 syllables, with the stress on syllable 2.
Emanuel over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 419 |
| 1890s | 453 |
| 1900s | 564 |
| 1910s | 2,625 |
| 1920s | 3,210 |
| 1930s | 2,017 |
| 1940s | 1,931 |
| 1950s | 2,386 |
| 1960s | 2,158 |
| 1970s | 2,402 |
| 1980s | 4,896 |
| 1990s | 6,718 |
| 2000s | 11,549 |
| 2010s | 9,795 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 3,732 |
What Emanuel means
Emanuel means God is with us. The Hebrew is a full sentence rather than a descriptive word, so the name states a claim about circumstances rather than about the child.
Where Emanuel comes from
Emanuel is the Hebrew Immanu'el — immanu, with us, joined to El, God. In Isaiah it is given to Ahaz as a sign: a child so named will be evidence that the threat to Judah passes. Matthew applies the verse to Jesus, which is how a sign-name became a Christian given name. Portuguese and Spanish use Manuel as the ordinary form, and the two spellings split the name's births across our markets.
Emanuel in use
Emanuel peaked in the United States in 2007, when 1,386 babies were registered, and is falling in our data. It now ranks 574th in the United States on 513 births, 641st in Ireland on 5, 807th in England and Wales on 41 and 1655th in France on 20, across 58,298 lifetime births in five of the seven markets we track. Our records carry it from 1880.
How popular is Emanuel?
In 2025, Emanuel was given to 513 babies in the United States, ranking #574 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Emanuel is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Emanuel
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Emanuel also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Emanuel over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Emanuel
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Emanuel in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Emanuel
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Emanuel — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Emanuel
What does the name Emanuel mean?
God is with us — the Hebrew immanu, with us, and El, God.
Was it originally a name?
No. Isaiah gives it to Ahaz as a sign; it became a personal name later.
Is Manuel the same name?
Yes — the ordinary Spanish and Portuguese form.
How popular is Emanuel?
574th in the United States, down from a 2007 peak of 1,386 births.
Is Emanuel a girl's or a boy's name?
Emanuel is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Emanuel?
Emanuel has 4 syllables.
What are the nicknames for Emanuel?
Emanuel is usually shortened to Manny.
Is Emanuel a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Emanuel currently ranks #574 in the United States. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.