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Manu as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Manu

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The baby name Manu is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈmanu/ (Spanish),/ˈmɑːnuː/ (Sanskrit/Hindi),/ˈmænu/ (English).

Manu is Polynesian, Portuguese, Sanskrit, Spanish in Origin.

Gender: Male
Syllables: 2.0
Origin: Polynesian, Portuguese, Sanskrit, Spanish
Pronunciation: /ˈmanu/ (Spanish),/ˈmɑːnuː/ (Sanskrit/Hindi),/ˈmænu/ (English)

What is the meaning of the name Manu ?

The baby name Manu is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈmanu/ (Spanish),/ˈmɑːnuː/ (Sanskrit/Hindi),/ˈmænu/ (English).

Manu is Polynesian, Portuguese, Sanskrit, Spanish in Origin.

Manu is a multicultural given name with several independent origins. In Sanskrit, Manu stems from the root man- “to think,” denoting “person, human,” and names the primordial lawgiver and progenitor in Vedic and Puranic tradition; it has long-standing use as a masculine name across South Asia. In Polynesian languages such as Maori, Samoan, and Hawaiian, manu means “bird” (or more broadly “creature”), prompting nature-linked, often unisex, use.

Across Europe and Latin America, Manu commonly serves as a hypocoristic of Manuel/Manuela and of Emmanuel/Immanuel, thereby inheriting the Biblical sense “God is with us.” Variants and related forms include Manuel, Manuela, Emmanuelle, Emanuele, and Immanuel; pet forms include Manou (French) and Manolo (Spanish). The name appears widely in sports and the arts, which has reinforced its modern, international profile while preserving deep mythological and linguistic roots.

Manu has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Manu

Manu Dibango Musician · Born 1933 · France Manu Dibango was a Cameroonian musician and songwriter best known for his influential fusion of jazz, funk, and traditional Cameroonian sounds. A virtuoso saxophone and vibraphone player, he became internationally famous for songs like "Soul Makossa" and "Big Blow."

Manu – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
FJ Boys 0 #17 1 603
MV Girls 0 #32 4 2,021
NA 0 #33 1 2,537
DJ Boys 0 #36 1 657
ID 0 #39 1 2,238
BI Boys 0 #43 2 917
GE 0 #44 1 997
CM 0 #54 3 2,592
LU 0 #54 13 2,830
IN 0 #63 9 2,963
MV Boys 0 #68 10 3,375
AO 0 #74 4 2,729
Spain Boys 0 #76 9,281 5,610
JP 0 #77 1 4,057
QA 0 #85 16 7,011
OM 0 #89 28 6,215
JM 0 #93 1 3,714
KW 0 #103 14 5,216
GE Boys 0 #107 4 2,055
GE Girls 0 #108 1 1,564
PH 0 #108 3 5,607
BN Girls 0 #111 4 5,459
EC 0 #119 3 2,502
CY Girls 0 #123 3 3,755
CY Boys 0 #126 6 3,473
AE 0 #129 49 10,220
LU Boys 0 #130 91 4,970
IQ 0 #132 2 3,533
GR 0 #134 2 3,911
ID Boys 0 #134 2 4,130
MU 0 #135 3 3,613
PA 0 #135 4 3,797
AR 0 #136 51 2,915
BN Boys 0 #137 3 6,332
UY 0 #138 40 2,477
CR 0 #149 10 5,526
BW Girls 0 #150 2 4,216
AR Boys 0 #151 886 7,628
LT Boys 0 #151 1 2,166
OM Boys 0 #151 1,620 17,948
BW Boys 0 #153 2 4,685
Austria 0 #157 58 850
Spain 0 #157 474 2,326
LU Girls 0 #162 24 4,850
Belgium Boys 2024 #166 23 401
UY Boys 0 #167 494 5,922
HU Boys 0 #174 1 3,954
MT Boys 0 #175 5 4,064
PR Boys 0 #175 4 2,508
GH 0 #178 66 5,396
HR 0 #180 2 2,081
Finland Boys 0 #184 357 2,041
Sweden Boys 2012 #185 3 1,395
Austria Girls 0 #185 366 1,885
CZ 0 #185 2 3,154
AL Girls 0 #187 36 4,141
AO Girls 0 #190 20 4,575
BH 0 #192 467 17,937
RU 0 #192 3 3,641
EC Boys 0 #199 41 3,322
AE Boys 0 #204 2,202 22,615
GH Boys 0 #204 164 8,138
DK 0 #205 2 5,198
IN Boys 0 #210 1,954 16,750
PL 0 #210 3 2,600
PT Boys 0 #210 184 7,951
SI Boys 0 #211 1 3,402
Finland Boys 2026 #215 1,689 3,552
NA Boys 0 #218 18 6,830
BG Boys 0 #219 2 3,850
QA Boys 0 #219 708 18,093
AO Boys 0 #223 20 5,568
KW Boys 0 #226 865 18,755
PS 0 #226 1 5,692
IR 0 #230 2 4,221
MO Boys 0 #231 4 5,842
Germany Girls 0 #232 1,399 4,949
IN Girls 0 #232 548 13,121
PT 0 #232 15 4,161
BD 0 #234 8 5,992
NA Girls 0 #236 2 7,146
JP Girls 0 #244 8 6,592
GR Girls 0 #247 3 6,293
SA 0 #251 45 10,560
EC Girls 0 #253 6 3,650
GH Girls 0 #253 72 6,973
CL Boys 0 #254 1,057 13,390
QA Girls 0 #255 62 15,378
HR Boys 0 #256 4 3,997
TW Boys 0 #256 1 7,111
BR 0 #257 90 5,969
GR Boys 0 #257 11 6,912
MO Girls 0 #258 6 7,056
UY Girls 0 #258 322 6,731
Germany 0 #269 177 2,542
NG 0 #270 3 5,926
SG 0 #275 8 11,010
Finland 0 #278 30 830
MU Boys 0 #278 80 8,477
IL 0 #280 3 6,291
PE 0 #282 29 6,350
IT Girls 0 #283 5,390 9,415
Austria Boys 0 #285 165 2,180
JP Boys 0 #286 12 7,909
HR Girls 0 #292 3 3,687
JM Boys 0 #293 1 6,876
KZ Boys 0 #294 3 6,578
GT 0 #296 19 5,948
CL 0 #299 116 6,867
Canada Boys 2024 #301 6 2,588
AL Boys 0 #301 3 5,122
BR Girls 0 #301 1,471 12,708
IT 0 #301 712 4,183
CZ Boys 0 #304 2 6,530
IT Boys 0 #304 4,088 10,046
CN Boys 0 #310 10 9,639
OM Girls 0 #311 86 15,987
DK Boys 0 #313 13 7,401
MU Girls 0 #322 30 8,539
DK Girls 0 #325 5 7,429
KZ Girls 0 #326 7 5,862
PL Boys 0 #335 6 6,459
SD Girls 0 #336 10 7,678
JO Girls 0 #337 3 7,570
CO Girls 0 #342 1,762 16,140
Germany Boys 0 #342 1,023 5,697
PT Girls 0 #343 113 7,952
CZ Girls 0 #350 2 5,378
MY 0 #354 1 12,352
CO 0 #355 128 7,768
CN Girls 0 #357 3 8,829
PH Boys 0 #361 23 11,440
MX 0 #363 51 8,339
PL Girls 0 #363 2 5,096
JO Boys 0 #364 14 7,057
YE 0 #367 15 8,639
BO 0 #370 12 6,868
Finland Girls 0 #374 18 1,368
NL 0 #380 12 2,481
CR Boys 0 #381 108 10,188
France Boys 2021 #382 6 2,865
KW Girls 0 #394 122 19,177
BD Girls 0 #401 6 8,413
EG 0 #412 1 6,387
GT Boys 0 #414 61 7,625
SA Boys 0 #415 2,877 28,008
PA Boys 0 #422 60 9,305
AE Girls 0 #428 126 20,968
PH Girls 0 #429 1 13,098
SD Boys 0 #434 12 10,523
CM Boys 0 #436 115 12,054
MX Boys 0 #453 781 16,355
RU Boys 0 #457 49 12,621
AR Girls 0 #464 138 8,289
CO Boys 0 #466 615 15,656
ZA 0 #467 8 14,421
PA Girls 0 #470 12 9,861
CM Girls 0 #473 68 11,671
PE Boys 0 #475 547 14,506
IQ Girls 0 #481 24 11,303
RU Girls 0 #487 12 11,913
BO Boys 0 #488 105 9,244
LY 0 #505 31 12,703
PS Girls 0 #510 14 10,981
HK Boys 0 #513 15 12,905
PS Boys 0 #520 29 10,655
CR Girls 0 #522 11 11,342
GT Girls 0 #534 8 7,500
BD Boys 0 #542 35 10,045
IR Girls 0 #545 1 8,334
IR Boys 0 #558 8 10,162
SG Girls 0 #560 27 18,916
IL Boys 0 #570 38 10,983
HK Girls 0 #596 20 16,104
BO Girls 0 #598 14 9,488
IL Girls 0 #600 18 11,648
SG Boys 0 #611 87 17,960
BR Boys 0 #626 127 12,213
IQ Boys 0 #650 18 13,071
Spain Girls 0 #665 341 5,561
SA Girls 0 #684 252 25,931
LB 0 #685 6 13,263
CL Girls 0 #718 134 14,098
NG Boys 0 #736 221 16,906
SY 0 #765 3 11,684
NG Girls 0 #768 19 15,093
TN 0 #790 40 13,765
NL Boys 0 #829 123 5,873
EG Boys 0 #835 52 15,035
United States Boys 2024 #875 18 7,044
PE Girls 0 #876 68 14,861
NL Girls 0 #893 63 5,933
EG Girls 0 #945 15 14,742
MY Girls 0 #956 39 24,821
ZA Boys 0 #968 212 25,619
MY Boys 0 #1,022 90 25,439
MX Girls 0 #1,047 137 17,781
MA 0 #1,055 74 20,986
ZA Girls 0 #1,101 41 25,928
DZ 0 #1,103 74 20,130
TR 0 #1,183 29 19,440

Manu is popular in 87 countries — most recent births per country:

France
Flanders, Belgium
United States
Canada
Belgium

Did we miss something about this name? Let us know!

People also ask about Manu

Manu is predominantly a boy's name.
Manu is a 2 syllable name, pronounced /ˈmanu/ (Spanish),/ˈmɑːnuː/ (Sanskrit/Hindi),/ˈmænu/ (English).
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Mānu, Manú, Manoo, Manuel, Manuela and Manny.
Across languages, Manu has these equivalents: Manuel (Spanish/Portuguese), Emmanuel (Hebrew, equivalent to Manuel), Adam (Hebrew, comparable as 'first man').
Yes — Manu ranked #166 in Belgium in 2024, and appears in official birth registries across 6 countries.
Manu ranks highest in Belgium (#166 in 2024).
Manu's popularity is rising significantly. It moved from #397 in 2011 to #382 in 2021 in France.
Yes — 1 notable people named Manu are in our database, including Manu Dibango (Musician).