Manette is an uncommon, distinctive given name of French origin. It's derived from the French word 'manette', which refers to a small handle or lever. The name Manette was popularized by French author Victor Hugo in his novel 'Les Misérables', where he used it for one of his characters.
The name Manette appears to have had varying popularity over the years, with several peaks and valleys. The most notable spikes occurred in the mid-1950s (14 births in 1955) and late 1950s/early 1960s (peaking at 18 births in 1958). However, it seems to have fallen out of favor by the late 1970s, with only 5 births recorded in both 1983 and 1984. Overall, Manette has been given to 304 newborns between 1913 and 1984.