UK boy's name
Manasseh
A masculine name of Hebrew origin meaning "one who causes to forget".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Manasseh is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Manasseh popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #2671, with 8 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2024, with 8 births.
This profile covers 71 England and Wales registrations across 16 recorded years from 2001 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
Manasseh is at its recorded peak in the England and Wales series.
We estimate that about 71 living people in the UK are called Manasseh. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Manasseh ranked #2671 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 8 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2024, when 8 boys were registered as Manasseh.
- • About 71 living people in the UK are estimated to have Manasseh as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#2671
2024
Births in 2024
8
Latest year
Peak year
2024
8 births
Estimated living
71
2026
Meaning
What does Manasseh mean?
The name Manasseh has its origins in Hebrew, deriving from the Biblical figure Manasseh, son of Joseph and grandson of the patriarch Jacob. The name is composed of two parts: the Hebrew word "nashah," meaning "to forget," and the phrase "ki nashnani Elohim," translating to "for God has made me forget."
In the Old Testament book of Genesis, Manasseh is one of the two sons of Joseph and his Egyptian wife Asenath. Joseph names him Manasseh, saying, "It is because God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father's household." This biblical reference marks one of the earliest recorded instances of the name's use.
During the biblical period, Manasseh was also the name of a king of the Kingdom of Judah, who reigned from around 687 to 642 BCE. According to the Books of Kings and Chronicles, King Manasseh initially led the people into idolatry but later repented and removed pagan worship from the land.
In the Middle Ages, Saint Manasseh was a Christian martyr who lived in Persia during the reign of King Shapur II in the 4th century CE. He was executed for his faith and is venerated in the Eastern Orthodox and Catholic churches.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Manasseh was Manasseh ben Joseph of Ilye, a 14th-century Jewish scholar and author from Spain. He wrote several works on Jewish law and philosophy.
In the 17th century, Manasseh ben Israel was a prominent Dutch Jewish philosopher, writer, and advocate for Jewish rights. Born in 1604, he played a crucial role in gaining permission for Jews to settle in England after their expulsion in 1290.
Another notable figure was Manasseh Cutler, an American Congregationalist minister born in 1742. He was a key figure in the settlement of the Northwest Territory and played a role in the creation of the Northwest Ordinance of 1787.
In the 19th century, Manasseh Masseh Lokulunju was a prominent Ugandan chief and one of the first converts to Christianity in the region. He was executed for his faith in 1886 and is remembered as one of the Ugandan Martyrs.
Manasseh T. Underwood, born in 1876, was an American businessman and politician who served as the 17th Governor of West Virginia from 1923 to 1925.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Manasseh over time
The chart below shows babies named Manasseh registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2001 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Manasseh, the clearest high point is 2024. The latest England and Wales figure is 8 births in 2024, compared with 8 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Manasseh by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Manasseh was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #3888 | 15 | 3 |
| 2010s | #3558 | 34 | 7 |
| 2000s | #3500 | 22 | 6 |
Related
Names similar to Manasseh
- Matthew 80,931
- Mohammed 74,321
- Muhammad 72,235
- Max 59,807
- Michael 47,075
- Mason 38,935
- Mohammad 25,910
- Morgan 15,994
- Muhammed 11,527
- Mark 11,336
- Marcus 11,257
- Maxwell 10,006
FAQ
Manasseh: questions and answers
How popular is the name Manasseh in the UK right now?
In 2024, Manasseh was ranked #2671 for boys in England and Wales, with 8 births registered.
When was Manasseh most popular?
The peak year on record was 2024, with 8 babies registered as Manasseh in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Manasseh?
A masculine name of Hebrew origin meaning "one who causes to forget".
How many people are called Manasseh in the UK?
A total of 71 babies have been registered as Manasseh across the 16 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.