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Home › Baby Names Directory › Manhattan

Manhattan

♀ Girl

Pronounced man-HAT-un /mænˈhæt.ən/High

Meaning: A place name: Manhattan is the New York borough, named from a Lenape word recorded by Dutch colonists. It is usually read as something like 'island of many hills', though the exact original sense is debated. As a given name it is a modern place-name choice, which we note plainly.Low

In 30 seconds: A place name, plainly: Manhattan is the New York borough, from a Lenape word (said 'man-HAT-un').
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Origin LowLenape, English
MeaningA place name: Manhattan is the New York borough, named from a Lenape word recorded by Dutch colonists. It is usually read as something like 'island of many hills', though the exact original sense is debated. As a given name it is a modern place-name choice, which we note plainly.
U.S. rank (2024)#14566 ↘ Falling
2024 U.S. births6 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)
Peak year2009
Total births (all-time)≈ 85

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 200920002024

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Manhattan is the name of the New York borough, taken from a Lenape word recorded by Dutch settlers and often rendered 'island of many hills' — though scholars disagree on the exact original meaning. As a given name it is a modern place-name pick, and we present it as that rather than inventing an etymology for it as a personal name (said 'man-HAT-un').

It is very rare as a given name in the U.S. Bold, urban, and unmistakable.

Did you know? Manhattan comes from a Lenape word written down by Dutch colonists in the sixteen hundreds; the usual gloss is 'island of many hills', but the original sense is genuinely debated, which we note.
Overall data confidence 40%
References — Manhattan — New York borough; Lenape origin; gloss debated; place name used as given name

Variations

ManhattenHattie

Nicknames

HattieMana

Famous Bearers

  • Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Manhattan…

Brooklyn— the best-known New York place name for girls
London— a like city name in given-name use
Kensington— a like long, bold place name
Kaliyan— the same modern feel
Lydian— a fellow English choice

Explore names like Manhattan

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Manhattan mean?

Manhattan is a place name — the New York borough — from a Lenape word, often read as 'island of many hills', though the original sense is debated.

How do you pronounce Manhattan?

It's said man-HAT-un /mænˈhæt.ən/ — three syllables, stress on the second.

Is Manhattan a boy or girl name?

Manhattan is used here as a girl's name; as a place name it is not gendered.

How popular is Manhattan?

Manhattan is a very rare given name in the U.S.

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