Manila as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Manila

What is the meaning of the name Manila ?

The baby name Manila is a Female name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced English: /məˈniːlə/ (muh-NEE-luh); Tagalog/Spanish: /maˈnila/ (mah-NEE-lah).

Manila is English, Tagalog in Origin.

Manila is a modern given name taken from the capital of the Philippines. The toponym comes via Spanish Manila from Tagalog Maynila, analyzed as may “there is/with” + nila or nilad - either the indigo plant (from Sanskrit nīla, “deep blue”) or a mangrove‑like shrub (Scyphiphora hydrophyllacea). The name can thus mean “where there is indigo,” “place of blue,” or “place of the nilad plant,” evoking color and waterside flora.

As a personal name it has seen rare but steady use since the 20th century, especially among Filipinos and the diaspora, and occasionally in Italy (cf. media figure Manila Nazzaro) and Spanish‑speaking countries as a place‑name choice. Variants and related forms include Manilla (alternate spelling) and Maynila (Tagalog form); diminutives or nicknames may be Nila or Mila. Manila is most often feminine in use, though unisex in principle.