UK boy's name
Menashe
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 2022. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Menashe is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Menashe popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2022 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4001, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2019, with 9 births.
This profile covers 35 England and Wales registrations across 6 recorded years from 2015 to 2022. 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.
The latest count is about 44% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 35 living people in the UK are called Menashe. 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 2023 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Menashe ranked #4001 for boys in England and Wales in 2022, with 4 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2019, when 9 boys were registered as Menashe.
- • About 35 living people in the UK are estimated to have Menashe as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4001
2022
Births in 2022
4
Latest year
Peak year
2019
9 births
Estimated living
35
2026
Meaning
What does Menashe mean?
The name Menashe is a Hebrew name with a rich historical and cultural significance. It is derived from the Hebrew name Manasseh, which means "he who causes to forget" or "one who brings forgetfulness." The name traces its roots back to the biblical figure Manasseh, the eldest son of Joseph and Asenath in the book of Genesis.
In the Old Testament, Manasseh was one of the twelve tribes of Israel, and his name was given to him by Joseph to symbolize that God had made him forget all his hardships and his father's household. The tribe of Manasseh settled in the region west of the Jordan River, and the name became a popular choice among Jewish families throughout the centuries.
The name Menashe has been recorded in various historical texts and documents, including the Hebrew Bible, the Talmud, and other Jewish religious writings. One of the earliest recorded examples of the name can be found in the book of Numbers, where Manasseh is listed as one of the leaders of the Israelite tribes.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Menashe. One of the most famous was Menashe ben Israel (1604-1657), a Dutch Jewish scholar, writer, and diplomat who played a pivotal role in promoting the readmission of Jews to England after their expulsion in 1290.
Another notable figure was Menashe ben Joseph ben Israel (1604-1657), a Dutch-Jewish philosopher and rabbi who made significant contributions to the study of Jewish law and philosophy. He is best known for his work "Nishmat Hayyim" (The Soul of Life), a treatise on the immortality of the soul.
In the 18th century, Menashe Ilyer-Unterman (1723-1805) was a renowned Russian-Jewish scholar and author who wrote extensively on Jewish law and ethics. His works, including "Shaarei Teshuvah" (Gates of Repentance), were widely studied and influential in Jewish communities.
Menashe Mendi Mocher Sforim (1836-1924) was a Polish-Jewish rabbi and author who gained fame for his work "Chiddushei Agadot" (Novellae on the Aggadah), a commentary on the non-legal portions of the Talmud.
In more recent times, Menashe Kadishman (1932-2015) was an Israeli sculptor and painter known for his large-scale installations and public artworks, many of which featured sheep motifs.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Menashe over time
The chart below shows babies named Menashe registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2015 to 2022. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Menashe, the clearest high point is 2019. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2022, compared with 9 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Menashe by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Menashe 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 | #4001 | 4 | 1 |
| 2010s | #3071 | 31 | 5 |
Related
Names similar to Menashe
- 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
Menashe: questions and answers
How popular is the name Menashe in the UK right now?
In 2022, Menashe was ranked #4001 for boys in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.
When was Menashe most popular?
The peak year on record was 2019, with 9 babies registered as Menashe in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Menashe?
A masculine name of Hebrew origin meaning "one who causes to forget".
How many people are called Menashe in the UK?
A total of 35 babies have been registered as Menashe across the 6 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.