Manu

See also: Appendix:Variations of "manu"

English

Etymology 1

Transliteration of Sanskrit मनु (manu, “man, mankind”). Doublet of man.

Proper noun

Manu

1. (Hinduism) A title accorded to the progenitor of mankind, first king to rule this earth, who saved mankind from a great global flood.
   • 1988, Hermann Oldenberg, Shridhar B. Shrotri, The Religion of the Veda, page 138:

     Agni is the one who is introduced by Manu, who is kindled by Manu; one requests him to rule at the present sacrifice, as he had done it for Manu, when he "offered the first oblation, with kindled fire, with his (attentive) heart and soul, along with the seven priests" to the gods (X, 63, 7).

2. (theosophy) The progenitor of the Aryan root-race, which is said to have originated in Atlantis.
3. A male given name from Sanskrit, commonly used in India.

Etymology 2

Abbreviation of Emmanuel.

Proper noun

Manu

1. A male given name.

Anagrams

• Amun, NUMA, Numa, Uman, maun

Finnish

Etymology

Short form of Immanuel, also used as a nickname for Mauno and Maunu.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmɑnu/, [ˈmɑ̝nu]
• Rhymes: -ɑnu
• Syllabification^(key): Ma‧nu
• Hyphenation^(key): Ma‧nu

Proper noun

Manu

1. a male given name
   1. (informal) Nickname for Mauno Koivisto, Finnish politician and President of Finland (1982–1994)
2. a Finnish surname transferred from the given name

Declension

Inflection of Manu (Kotus type 1/valo, no gradation)
nominative		Manu	Manut
genitive		Manun	Manujen
partitive		Manua	Manuja
illative		Manuun	Manuihin
		singular	plural
nominative		Manu	Manut
accusative	nom.	Manu	Manut
	gen.	Manun
genitive		Manun	Manujen
partitive		Manua	Manuja
inessive		Manussa	Manuissa
elative		Manusta	Manuista
illative		Manuun	Manuihin
adessive		Manulla	Manuilla
ablative		Manulta	Manuilta
allative		Manulle	Manuille
essive		Manuna	Manuina
translative		Manuksi	Manuiksi
abessive		Manutta	Manuitta
instructive		—	Manuin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of Manu (Kotus type 1/valo, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative Manuni Manuni accusative nom. Manuni Manuni gen. Manuni genitive Manuni Manujeni partitive Manuani Manujani inessive Manussani Manuissani elative Manustani Manuistani illative Manuuni Manuihini adessive Manullani Manuillani ablative Manultani Manuiltani allative Manulleni Manuilleni essive Manunani Manuinani translative Manukseni Manuikseni abessive Manuttani Manuittani instructive — — comitative — Manuineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative Manusi Manusi accusative nom. Manusi Manusi gen. Manusi genitive Manusi Manujesi partitive Manuasi Manujasi inessive Manussasi Manuissasi elative Manustasi Manuistasi illative Manuusi Manuihisi adessive Manullasi Manuillasi ablative Manultasi Manuiltasi allative Manullesi Manuillesi essive Manunasi Manuinasi translative Manuksesi Manuiksesi abessive Manuttasi Manuittasi instructive — — comitative — Manuinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative Manumme Manumme accusative nom. Manumme Manumme gen. Manumme genitive Manumme Manujemme partitive Manuamme Manujamme inessive Manussamme Manuissamme elative Manustamme Manuistamme illative Manuumme Manuihimme adessive Manullamme Manuillamme ablative Manultamme Manuiltamme allative Manullemme Manuillemme essive Manunamme Manuinamme translative Manuksemme Manuiksemme abessive Manuttamme Manuittamme instructive — — comitative — Manuinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative Manunne Manunne accusative nom. Manunne Manunne gen. Manunne genitive Manunne Manujenne partitive Manuanne Manujanne inessive Manussanne Manuissanne elative Manustanne Manuistanne illative Manuunne Manuihinne adessive Manullanne Manuillanne ablative Manultanne Manuiltanne allative Manullenne Manuillenne essive Manunanne Manuinanne translative Manuksenne Manuiksenne abessive Manuttanne Manuittanne instructive — — comitative — Manuinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative Manunsa Manunsa accusative nom. Manunsa Manunsa gen. Manunsa genitive Manunsa Manujensa partitive Manuaan Manuansa Manujaan Manujansa inessive Manussaan Manussansa Manuissaan Manuissansa elative Manustaan Manustansa Manuistaan Manuistansa illative Manuunsa Manuihinsa adessive Manullaan Manullansa Manuillaan Manuillansa ablative Manultaan Manultansa Manuiltaan Manuiltansa allative Manulleen Manullensa Manuilleen Manuillensa essive Manunaan Manunansa Manuinaan Manuinansa translative Manukseen Manuksensa Manuikseen Manuiksensa abessive Manuttaan Manuttansa Manuittaan Manuittansa instructive — — comitative — Manuineen Manuinensa

Statistics

• Manu is the 276^th most common male given name in Finland, belonging to 1,680 male individuals (and as a middle name to 418 more), according to August 2025 data from the Digital and Population Data Services Agency of Finland.
• The surname Manu belongs to 124 individuals, according to August 2025 data from the Digital and Population Data Services Agency of Finland.

Anagrams

• maun, muna, namu

Hawaiian

Etymology

manu (“bird”), also a short form of compound names containing this word.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈma.nu/, [ˈmɐ.nu]

Proper noun

Manu

1. a male or female given name from Hawaiian

References

• Mary Kawena Pukui - Samuel H. Elbert, Hawaiian Dictionary, University of Hawaii Press 1986
• Hawaii State Archives: Marriage records Manu occurs in 19th-century marriage records as the only name (mononym) of 14 women and 26 men.

Māori

Etymology

From manu (“bird”), also a short form of compound names containing this word.

Proper noun

Manu

1. a male given name

Sandawe

Proper noun

Manu

1. a male given name

References

• Ehret, Christopher, Ehret, Patricia, editors (2012), A Dictionary of Sandawe, Köln: Rüdiger Köppe Verlag, →ISBN, page 215

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmanu/ [ˈma.nu]
• Rhymes: -anu
• Syllabification: Ma‧nu

Proper noun

Manu m

1. a diminutive of the male given name Manuel

Walloon

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ma.ˈny/

Proper noun

Manu

1. a male given name