Immanuel
Masculine · Hebrew roots · “God is with us”
Immanuel comes straight out of the Hebrew of Isaiah — a single phrase, "God is with us," turned into a name. Most English speakers meet it as Emmanuel, the Greek-flavored spelling; this version keeps the doubled m and the crisp Hebrew shape it started with. Four syllables that settle quickly in the mouth, with Manny waiting at the end of them.
How old is the name Immanuel?
Immanuel first appears in US birth records in 1917 — 108 years ago. The typical Immanuel alive today was born around 2009, making them about 16 years old. About 6,000 people named Immanuel are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Immanuel most popular?
Immanuel peaked in 2001, reaching #891 nationally. Today it ranks #1204, 313 places below that high. See the whole 2001 chart.
Lists built from the same records:
Where it comes from
From Immanu'el (Hebrew) to Immanuel
The story of Immanuel
The name appears in the Book of Isaiah as a sign given to the house of David, and it is quoted again in the Gospel of Matthew, which is how it traveled out of Hebrew into Greek as Emmanouel and then into Latin and the languages of Europe. From there it branched: Emmanuel in French and English, Emanuele in Italian, and Manuel in Spanish and Portuguese, where the front of the name simply fell away. The Immanuel spelling is the one closest to the Hebrew, favored in German and in Reformation-era Bible scholarship — the philosopher Immanuel Kant, born in Königsberg in the eighteenth century, adopted it in place of Emanuel after taking up Hebrew. In American records it has been present for over a century without ever crowding the field.
Meaning
God is with us
From Hebrew immanu ("with us") plus El ("God") — the name is a whole sentence rather than a word.
How the name formed
- Immanu'elHebrew
- EmmanouelGreek
- EmmanuelLatin
- ImmanuelGerman
- ManuelSpanish
Related forms: Immanu'el · Emmanuel · Emanuele · Manuel · Emmanouil · Emmanuil
Pronouncing Immanuel
ih-MAN-yoo-el
Four syllables with the stress on MAN. German speakers say it closer to ee-MAH-noo-el, and both are correct for the same name.
Nicknames for Immanuel
High
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1917
- Most boys named
- 2015239 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #891reached in 2001
- Change vs 2024
- 0.0%168 in 2025, from 168
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Immanuel in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- Immanu'el in Hebrew — transliteration
- Emmanuel in French — spelling variant
- Emanuele in Italian — same name
- Manuel in Spanish — related form
- Emmanouil in Greek — same name
- Emmanuil in Russian — transliteration
Strongest US states over the last decade: Texas, California, Florida.
Immanuels among us
people named Immanuel are estimated to be alive in the US today
About 1 boy in 10,167 born in 2025 was named Immanuel
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
What happens to a name after it peaks
The Jerrad test
Every popular name lives one long story — a climb, a peak, a slow settling back. Immanuel's later chapters haven't been written yet, so we borrowed them: Jerrad climbed just as high around 1985, and its whole arc is on record. Line the two peaks up, and Jerrad's path sketches the road Immanuel is walking now.
Immanuel sits in the calm middle of the cycle — neither chasing a wave nor sliding off one. Middle-of-the-cycle names age slowly and predictably.
A scored estimate from 146 years of naming cycles — not a prophecy. Great names outlive statistics. How this is scored
Where Immanuel is headed
Immanuel should hold steady through 2030 — the curve is flat, and flat curves are the most predictable kind.
Medium confidence — fitted on official counts through 2025.
A damped-trend projection of the official birth data — a sketch of momentum, not a promise. Every name's forecast, ranked.
Immanuel beside its neighbors
The names ranked closest to Immanuel in 2025, in babies rather than position — the bars are to scale.
US boys given each name in 2025.
The trade-off
- The meaning is plain, ancient and unambiguous — one of the few names that translates as a full sentence rather than a word.
- Recognized in nearly every European language through Emmanuel, Emanuele and Manuel, so it travels without needing explanation.
- Established short forms already in real use: Manny, Manu, Immy.
- Present in American records for more than a century, never fashionable enough to date a child to one decade.
- Emmanuel is the far more familiar spelling in English, so expect to correct forms, teachers and autocorrect for life. One m or two, and where the e goes, will be a recurring conversation.
- For readers with a philosophy background, the name arrives attached to Immanuel Kant. That association is respectable but strong, and it is worth knowing it is there.
- It is long on a form and long in a roll call, which is part of why Manny does so much of the daily work. Some families are happy with that; others want the full name used.
- A child with this name will likely be the only one in the class — good for distinctiveness, and it does mean a lifetime of spelling it out loud.
Nobody names a baby alone.
Put Immanuel to the vote.
Add it to a family vote or a couple’s swipe deck — the other person gets one card, a simple answer and room to say why. No app, no account for them.
Only the people you invite can see your list.
Already decided on Immanuel? Hide it among decoys and let them guess.
What they receive
Someone added a name to your list
Immanuel
Masculine · Hebrew roots · #1204 in the U.S.
Frequently asked
- How many Immanuels are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 6,000 people named Immanuel are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Immanuel in 2025?
- Immanuel ranks #1204 among US boy names in 2025, with 168 babies given the name.
- How rare is the name Immanuel?
- About 1 in every 10,167 US boys born in 2025 was named Immanuel — 168 in all.
- Will my child share the name Immanuel with classmates?
- Immanuel will almost certainly be the only one in school.
Ranked beside Immanuel
Names sitting at a similar level of popularity right now.
Shivansh#1204 · Gerald#1204 · Perseus#1204 · Arman#1204 · Karsyn#1204 · Eyden#1204 · Jovani#1204 · Zavian#1196
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Immanuel? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Immanuel and another name?
See them side by side — full stats, history and a gentle verdict.
Compare side by sideIn a hurry? Just pick a winner — one tap, no sign-up, and you see how everyone else voted.
Weighing a whole shortlist? Add the rest in the builder, or settle it with a bracket.
Cast your vote
Which one would you pick?
Your gut first, the numbers after — the split shows once you pick.
US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
No advertising trackers and no data sellinghow we handle your dataindependent and founder-run, about Name Battle