Mantan as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Mantan

What is the meaning of the name Mantan ?

The baby name Mantan is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced MAN-tan (ˈmæn.tæn).

Mantan is English, Indonesian in Origin.

Mantan is a very rare given name with uncertain etymology, best known in the United States from stage and screen. It may have been coined in early 20th‑century vaudeville; some link it to the English surname/place‑name Manton (Old English Manna + tūn, “Manna’s enclosure, settlement”) or to the Indian name Manthan (from Sanskrit manthana, “churning; deep reflection”). In Indonesian, mantan means “former/ex‑,” more common as a word than a name.

The name’s modern visibility chiefly derives from African‑American comedian Mantan Moreland (1910–1973); beyond that, it sees little documented birth use and rarely appears on popularity charts. Variants and look‑alikes include Manton, Montan, and Manthan; possible nicknames are Manny or Tan. Meaning therefore depends on the root: “Manna’s settlement” (English) or “churning, contemplation” (Sanskrit), with coinage reading left open.