Manish
Masculine · “lord of the mind”
Manish is a Sanskrit name built on the word for mind, a common boy's name across India. It came to America with Indian families, and its root is a distant cousin of the English word mind itself.
How old is the name Manish?
Manish first appears in US birth records in 1968 — 57 years ago. The typical Manish alive today was born around 1983, making them about 42 years old. About 500 people named Manish are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Manish most popular?
Manish peaked in 1975, reaching #1658 nationally. See the whole 1975 chart.
Lists built from the same records:
Where it comes from
From manas + īśa to Manish
The story of Manish
Sanskrit manas, mind, comes from an ancient root for thinking that also gave Latin mens, the source of mental, and English mind; the name Manish shares it with those words across thousands of miles and years. In India it is an everyday name for boys, with Manisha as its feminine. Indian families brought it to the United States. In English spelling it looks like the word mannish, but the two are entirely unrelated.
Meaningscholars disagree
lord of the mind, wise
Manish is usually explained as lord of the mind, joining manas, mind, and īśa, lord, or as from manīṣā, wisdom. Both readings rest on the same root for thought.
How the name formed
- manas + īśa
- Manish
Related forms: Manish · Manīṣa · Manisha
Pronouncing Manish
muh-NEESH
Stress on the second syllable, with a long ee.
Nicknames for Manish
Limited
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
- 1968
- Most boys named
- 197530 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #1658reached in 1975
- Change vs 2020
- 0.0%5 in 2022, from 5
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.
Manish in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- Manish in Hindi — same name
- Manīṣa in Sanskrit — related form
- Manisha in Hindi — related form
Manishs among us
people named Manish are estimated to be alive in the US today
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
Questions parents actually ask
Fashion outlook
Manish sits outside the current charts, and that is its own kind of answer: naming cycles can only date the names they carried up. A name this rare has no decade stamped on it — it cannot go out of fashion, because it was never in.
Based on 146 years of naming cycles. How we read them
The trade-off
- Its meaning, wise, is admired.
- It is short and easy to spell.
- It is familiar across India.
- English speakers may read it as MAN-ish, like the word mannish.
- Outside Indian communities it will need saying once.
Nobody names a baby alone.
Put Manish 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 Manish? Hide it among decoys and let them guess.
What they receive
Someone added a name to your list
Manish
Masculine
Frequently asked
- How many Manishs are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 500 people named Manish are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Manish in 2025?
- Manish is rarely given in the US today — it does not rank in the top 2000 boy names.
- Will my child share the name Manish with classmates?
- Manish will almost certainly be the only one in school.
More M names
The most-given names starting with M, all years combined.
Michael#21 · Matthew#32 · Mark#244 · Mason#39 · Martin#335 · Marvin#699 · Melvin#958 · Marcus#258
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Manish? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Manish 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