# Etymology of "Manila Folders"?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etymology-of-manila-folders/413128>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 25, 2007, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etymology-of-manila-folders/413128 "2007-07-25T19:07:26Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\
**Post date:** [July 25, 2007, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etymology-of-manila-folders/413128/1 "2007-07-25T19:07:26Z")

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My kids thought I was saying “vanilla” folders because of their color 🙂 which actually makes a lot more sense anyway. Where they invented in the Phillipines? 😕

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**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\
**Post date:** [July 25, 2007, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etymology-of-manila-folders/413128/2 "2007-07-25T19:17:48Z")

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How about “Manila” or (“manilla”) paper:

> **[Answers - The Most Trusted Place for Answering Life's Questions](https://www.answers.com/redirectSearch?query=manila-paper)**
>
> Answers is the place to go to get the answers you need and to ask the questions you want

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**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\
**Post date:** [July 25, 2007, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etymology-of-manila-folders/413128/3 "2007-07-25T19:52:56Z")

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Manila folders were made out of Manila paper, which is made out of [Manila hemp](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manila_hemp). Manila hemp is made out of fibers from the [abacá](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abac%C3%A1) plant, native to the Philippines.

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**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\
**Post date:** [July 25, 2007, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etymology-of-manila-folders/413128/4 "2007-07-25T19:56:22Z")

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I remember thinking they were “vanilla folders” when I was a kid, too…