Manuela is the feminine form of Manuel, the Spanish and Portuguese short form of Emmanuel, a Hebrew name meaning "God is with us". Manuela Sáenz, the companion of Simón Bolívar, is a heroine of South American independence, and the name remains common in Spain, Italy, Colombia and Brazil. In the United States Manuela ranked number 2323 in 2000, peaked at number 2018 in 2020 and stands at number 2573 in 2025.