Fun Facts About the Name Manna
- 218 babies named Manna: U.S. records list 218 babies given the name Manna from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Manna Mean?
Manna is a feminine given name used in Finland, taken from the biblical word for the food miraculously supplied to the Israelites in the wilderness. The Hebrew noun is mān (מָן), and its etymology is uncertain. In Exodus 16:15, the Israelites ask mān hū, 'What is it?', and the narrative uses that question as an explanation of the name; scholars generally treat this as a folk etymology rather than the word's true origin. The Greek Septuagint transliterated the Hebrew as manna, and Latin kept manna, which passed into English. In English, the word means 'heavenly food' or 'spiritual nourishment.' The given name carries that biblical sense rather than a separate lexical meaning.
Manna Name History & Origins
The Hebrew word mān appears in the wilderness narratives of Exodus and Numbers, where it names the substance the Israelites gathered each morning. The Septuagint rendered it manna, and the Latin Vulgate followed with manna. From Latin the word entered Old English as manna, and it remained chiefly a biblical and devotional term. In Christian tradition it was read as a symbol of God's provision, and the New Testament contrasts it with the 'true bread from heaven' in John 6. As a personal name, Manna is found in Finland, where it is understood as the biblical manna. It is distinct from the Bengali surname Manna, which belongs to a different linguistic and cultural context.
How Popular is the Name Manna?
Manna has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2018. Its best rank was #8,427 in 2019.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #14,301 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2024 | #10,744 | 9 | 0.0006% |
| 2023 | #16,709 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2022 | #10,905 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2021 | #14,612 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2020 | #14,477 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2019 | #8,427 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 2018 | #8,436 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 2017 | #9,711 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2016 | #12,465 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2015 | #12,565 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2014 | #18,234 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2013 | #12,731 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2012 | #18,568 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2011 | #12,941 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2009 | #14,657 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2008 | #16,727 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2007 | #19,432 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2005 | #12,568 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2004 | #15,355 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2003 | #13,311 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2002 | #17,129 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2001 | #10,672 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2000 | #16,619 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1999 | #13,757 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1998 | #11,919 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1995 | #11,275 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1994 | #12,772 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1992 | #11,216 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1985 | #8,888 | 7 | 0.0004% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Manna Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You have psychic power. You can carry on for others with joy. You have a receptive nature and may bear burdens for others. You are pragmatic, thorough, strong-willed, practical and stubborn at times. You are hard working, often martyr to duty. You like home and security above all. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You are very intuitive. You have a reservoir of inspired wisdom combined with inherited analytical ability, which could reward you through expressions of spiritual leadership, business analysis, marketing, artistic visions, and scientific research. Operating on spiritual side of your individuality can bring you to the great heights, and drop you off if you neglect your spiritual identity. You are always looking for an opportunity to investigate the unknown, to use and show your mental abilities, to find the purpose and meaning of life. You want to grow wise and to understand people and things. You need privacy to replenish your energy. You have a unique way of thinking, intuitive, reflective, absorbing.
✦ Manna's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Manna's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.