Meaning & History
Emánuel is the Hungarian form of Emmanuel, a name with deep biblical roots. It derives from the Hebrew name עִמָּנוּאֵל (ʿImmanuʾel), meaning "God is with us," composed of the elements ʿim ("with") and ʾel ("God"). In the Old Testament, the name is foretold as the sign of the Messiah in Isaiah 7:14.
Across Christian traditions, Emmanuel and its variants hold significant religious weight, symbolizing divine presence. While the name has been used in England since the 16th century, it has always been more common in continental Europe, particularly in forms like Manuel in Spanish and Portuguese, and Manoel in Portuguese. In Hungarian, the adaptation Emánuel retains the full original meaning but follows local orthographic and phonetic conventions.
Related forms include Manvel (Armenian), Imanol (Basque), Emmanuel (French), Immanuel (Hebrew), Emmanouel (Biblical Greek), and Emmanuhel (Biblical Latin). The Hungarian version Emánuel is used predominantly as a first name for boys, though less common than in Southern Europe.
- Meaning: "God is with us"
- Origin: Hebrew, via Hungarian
- Type: First name (male)
- Usage: Hungarian