Why Is It Called a “Manila” Envelope?

The days of getting important documents in the mail instead of a PDF may be waning, but there’s still plenty of mileage left in the Manila envelope. The oversized, heavy-duty enclosures can send and store everything from contracts to insurance policies to incriminating blackmail.

But why are they called “Manila” envelopes? Does the name refer to the Philippines? And if so, how did that come about?

American stationery companies were experiencing supply shortages in the 1830s. Cotton and linen rags, which were used to produce paper pulp, were growing scarce. To keep production up, papermakers turned to the Manila rope typically found on ships. In contrast to cotton and linen, Manila rope was derived from Manila hemp—an extremely strong and durable material sourced from Manila, or abacá, plants native to the Philippines (hence it being named after the country’s capital, Manila). The properties made them ideal when high-tensile strength material was needed, and everything from shirt collars to ship sails was sourced from the plant.

Companies continued to find use for Manila fibers even when other paper sources became available. Manila rope that was too frayed to remain in use could be recycled rather than discarded, making it a thrifty resource.

Unlike the products of today, early Manila folders were much heavier and more akin to cardboard than paper. One sheet could be folded in half to make a simple folder. Because it was water-resistant, the folder was ideal for transporting important documents. And because the plant fibers used to make it are yellow-brown in color, the material had a distinct, golden hue.

Despite Manila fibers being their main component, it took a while for the term Manila envelope to catch on. The Oxford English Dictionary cites the first use of the phrase in print in 1889, when printer Barnum and Co. professed to “make a specialty of large Manilla [sic] … envelopes.”

Exporting Manila hemp should have been lucrative for the Philippines. Instead, colonialism got in the way. The American government saw Manila rope as a valuable wartime resource, and it sought to control trade of the crop while colonizing the Philippines at the turn of the 20th century. During this period, most of the country’s abacá was exported to the U.S. while Filipinos saw little profits.

Manila was phased out of most paper manufacturing over time, with wood pulp growing both more readily available and far less expensive. But the durability of Manila products had developed a reputation, and paper companies continued to use unbleached, yellowish paper to make large envelopes. Today they’re usually sealed either with a gum flap or a metal clasp. They also kept their “Manila” designation, despite no longer featuring the plant fiber. The term has come to be associated with an envelope durable enough to protect documents, even when the material used isn’t nearly as strong as the Manila plant it was once derived from.

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