Fun Facts About the Name Menashe
- 437 babies named Menashe: U.S. records list 437 babies given the name Menashe from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Menashe Mean?
Menashe is a Hebrew name meaning "causing to forget." It is built on the root נשה (nashah), "to forget," in a causative form that gives the sense "one who makes forget." The name is explained directly in the book of Genesis: Joseph names his firstborn son Menashe with the words "God has made me forget all my hardship and all my father's house" (Genesis 41:51). That sentence provides the customary meaning. The literal wordplay on "forget" should be kept separate from later symbolic readings that treat the name as a statement about consolation or a new beginning. The familiar English biblical spelling is Manasseh; Menashe is the modern Hebrew form of the same name, not a separate name that happens to look similar.
Menashe Name History & Origins
In the Hebrew Bible, Menashe is the firstborn son of Joseph and Asenath, daughter of Potiphera, priest of On (Genesis 41:50 - 51). His younger brother was Ephraim. The descendants of Menashe became one of the largest Israelite tribes, with land on both sides of the Jordan River; the portion east of the Jordan is commonly called the half-tribe of Manasseh, described in Numbers 32 and Joshua 13 and 17.
The name is also borne by King Manasseh of Judah, son of Hezekiah, whose long reign is described in 2 Kings 21 and 2 Chronicles 33. A later Greek work, the Prayer of Manasseh, is attributed to him but is not part of the Hebrew canon.
In the Greek Septuagint the name appears as Μανασσή (Manassē), and this form passes into the New Testament genealogy of Jesus (Matthew 1:10) and into Latin as Manasses. English Bibles of the 16th and 17th centuries, including the King James Version, use Manasseh. The spelling and pronunciation Menashe reflect the modern Hebrew מְנַשֶּׁה and are used as a given name in Israel and among Jewish families elsewhere.
How Popular is the Name Menashe?
Menashe 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 2014. Its best rank was #4,214 in 2014.
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 | #4,639 | 22 | 0.0013% |
| 2024 | #4,809 | 21 | 0.0012% |
| 2023 | #4,686 | 22 | 0.0013% |
| 2022 | #4,528 | 23 | 0.0013% |
| 2021 | #7,423 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2020 | #6,891 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2019 | #5,090 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 2018 | #7,445 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2017 | #8,600 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2016 | #6,996 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 2015 | #4,649 | 21 | 0.0011% |
| 2014 | #4,214 | 24 | 0.0012% |
| 2013 | #5,105 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 2012 | #6,538 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2011 | #5,860 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2010 | #5,941 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2009 | #8,762 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2008 | #8,775 | 9 | 0.0004% |
| 2007 | #7,434 | 11 | 0.0005% |
| 2006 | #5,229 | 17 | 0.0008% |
| 2005 | #7,482 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2004 | #8,655 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2002 | #8,188 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2001 | #8,919 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2000 | #8,811 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1999 | #8,425 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1998 | #10,729 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1997 | #8,898 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1996 | #6,333 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1994 | #9,771 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1992 | #7,155 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1991 | #9,130 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1988 | #5,547 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1987 | #5,879 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1986 | #5,727 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1983 | #6,949 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1979 | #6,715 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1978 | #4,872 | 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 Menashe 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 have an eventful, exciting life. You are versatile and have the ability to learn easily.
You are always looking for an opportunity to achieve financial and emotional security. You are basically peacemaker. You understand the law of harmony and desire to balance your life with those around you. You may feel incomplete without someone to share your love, ideals, wealth or work. You can be very sensitive and could appear a bit shy and perceptive. You have developed intuition, patience and the ability to nurture others. You can achieve the state of happiness if you are willing to accept your needs in a complimentary relationship and go to create them.
✦ Menashe's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Menashe's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.