| Manuel | Nicolás | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | God is with us | victory of the people |
| Origin | Spanish | spanish |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | mahn-WEL | nee-ko-LAHS |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1882 |
| Peak year | 2005 (2,665) | 2003 (3,003) |
| In 2025 | 860 | 2,053 |
| Trend | Declining | Steady |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Manuel | Nicolás |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 5,946 | 11,843 |
| 2010s | 13,869 | 21,216 |
| 2000s | 23,444 | 28,267 |
| 1990s | 24,176 | 21,219 |
| 1980s | 19,985 | 10,268 |
| 1970s | 17,697 | 3,870 |
| 1960s | 16,036 | 1,388 |
| 1950s | 16,376 | 1,041 |
| 1940s | 14,186 | 694 |
| 1930s | 12,330 | 567 |
| 1920s | 15,664 | 749 |
| 1910s | 8,370 | 367 |
| 1900s | 1,751 | 51 |
| 1890s | 952 | 19 |
| 1880s | 802 | 26 |
Manuel is a form of Emmanuel, “God is with us.”
The Spanish form of Nicholas, from the Greek Nikolaos, combining nike 'victory' and laos 'people'. Popularized by Saint Nicholas of Myra, the 4th-century bishop who became the basis for Santa Claus.
Nicolás is more popular than Manuel today: about 2,053 US babies were given the name Nicolás in 2025, compared with 860 named Manuel.
Manuel means God is with us (Spanish origin), while Nicolás means victory of the people (spanish origin).
In US records, Manuel first appears in 1880 and Nicolás in 1882, so Manuel has the longer recorded history.