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