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Manilla
How to Pronounce Manilla
Pronounced muh-NIL-uh /mΙΛnΙͺl.Ι/Medium
Meaning: Manilla, like the more common Manila, takes its name from the Philippine capital β itself from the mangrove plant nilad. Used as an American given name, it belongs to the old habit of borrowing striking place-names for girls; the doubled -ll- is a spelling variant.Low
Popularity in the U.S. Β· SSA data
U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880βpresent). Pink marker = peak year.
SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.
History & Origin
Manilla echoes the Philippine capital Manila, whose name traces to Tagalog may-nilad, 'where the nilad grows'. American families of the era sometimes drew girls' names from far-off places; the double-l spelling is simply a variant of the city's usual form.
It barely registered, with a faint blip late in the nineteenth century around 1898 before all but vanishing. Only a handful of girls a year ever carried it.
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Frequently Asked
What does the name Manilla mean?
Manilla is a place-name given name from the city Manila, whose name comes from the Tagalog nilad plant.
How do you pronounce Manilla?
It's said muh-NIL-uh /mΙΛnΙͺl.Ι/ β three syllables, stress on the second.
Is Manilla a boy or girl name?
Manilla is used here as a girl's name, borrowed from the city name.
How popular is Manilla?
Manilla has always been extremely rare in the U.S., a place-name most seen around the turn of the twentieth century.