Emanuel
A surname from the biblical given name Emmanuel, meaning “God is with us,” often used by Jewish families and, later, by some Christian families too.
The #5,340 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 47,375 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Emanuel comes from the biblical name Emmanuel, from Hebrew Immanu'el, literally “God is with us.” In English and other European languages, the form often passed through Latin and vernacular spellings such as Emanuel and Manuel. As a surname, it usually began as a patronymic or family-name adoption from the given name rather than from a place or trade.
History
The surname is recorded in older English surname collections as a Jewish surname, though it could also arise among Christian families from the popular biblical forename. Bardsley notes it as an uncommon English surname and links it to the baptismal name Emanuel, with Manuel/Manwell as related forms. In modern usage it is found in both Jewish and non-Jewish communities across the English-speaking world.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Thomas Popeson’s scholarship at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, is a reminder of how strongly the biblical name Emmanuel was embedded in English learned culture.
From the historical record
“ELY. A city in Cambridgeshire. EMANUEL. A well-known Jewish sur- name. ELIARY. See Amory. E:\IBERS0N. a corruption of Emer- son. EMBLETON. Parishes, &c., in cos. Northumberland, Cumberland, and Dur- ham.”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom