Given name & surname
Michael
“who is like God?”
Michael is used as a given name and a surname. One Hebrew interpretation is “who is like God?.”
Original Hebrewמיכאל
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Hebrew interpretation is “who is like God?.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Hebrew.
How it developed
In English usage, Michael developed from Michel. In English usage, Michael developed from the Old English form Michahel.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. In Czech use, Michael is a variant of Michal. The history of Michal gives this family its wider story. In biblical tradition, Michal is the name of a daughter of Saul.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
In the Bible
In the Bible, the name Michael appears in Daniel 10:21, Jude 1:9, Revelation 12:7 and 1 other passage.
- Daniel 10:21
- Jude 1:9
- Revelation 12:7
- Numbers 13:13
From biblical name research
Michael through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 4,448,633
- 4,426,753 boys · 21,880 girls
- Most popular year
- 1957
- 93,036 babies
- 2025
- 8,107
- #21 for boys · #8,188 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −28%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 8,094 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 21 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 27.6% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 92,781 in 1957. It also appeared in 13 birth records for girls in 2025. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (875). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 3,476,721 as a first name in 2020; 37,760 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Michael’s family of names
In English usage, Michael has a diminutive in Mike. Michael has a feminine form in Michelle. In English usage, Michael has a conventional equivalent in the Galician form Miguel.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Michael has relatives in 70 languages. Lines run from its Hebrew roots to each of them.
Hebrewwhere Michael comes from · 1 name
Nicknames & forms 77
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Milespet form
- Miguelvariant · Spanish, English
- Makaivariant
- Michaelavariant · Czech, German
- Mikaelvariant · Swedish, Norwegian
- Mikediminutive · English, Dutch
- Mikavariant · German, English
- Michealvariant · English
Show 52 moreShow fewer
- Mickeydiminutive · English
- Mikhailvariant · English
- Mikelvariant · Basque
- Mykelvariant
- Mikovariant
- Mishavariant
- Mikeydiminutive · English
- Mikkovariant · Finnish
- Michalvariant · Czech, Slovak
- Mikhaelvariant · English
- Michelangelovariant
- Michelvariant · German, Dutch
- Michashort form · German, English
- Michelevariant · Italian
- Mischavariant
- Mickdiminutive · English
- Michaelangelovariant
- Mikkelvariant · Danish, Swedish
- Myshavariant
- Mickydiminutive · English
- Mykellvariant
- Mykalvariant
- Mikidiminutive · English
- Mikellvariant
- Micaelvariant · Portuguese, roa-leo
- Mihailvariant · Romanian
- Maikvariant · English
- Mychaelvariant
- Mitchvariant · English
- Mychalvariant · English, French
- Mikealvariant · English
- Bloomienickname
- Mmichaellikely variant
- Michaelllikely variant
- Micchaellikely variant
- Michaelsvariant · English
- Michelinediminutive · French
- Michishort form · German, English
- McKalevariant
- Maichailvariant · English
- Micheilvariant
- Miquelvariant · Catalan
- Mikolvariant
- Michielvariant · Dutch, Old French
- Michailvariant · English, German
- Micalvariant
- Micvariant · English
- 喬幫主nickname
- Michhaellikely variant
- Миковdiminutive · Bulgarian
- Mookiediminutive · English
- Mishnickname · English
And 17 more.
Spellings & scripts 5
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 135
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- מיכאלHebrew, Yiddish
- Miafeminine form
- Micahfeminine form
- Michellefeminine form
- Mikaeladerivative · Norwegian Bokmål
- Mitchellmedieval form of
- Micaelafeminine form
- MikailTurkish
Show 52 moreShow fewer
- MikalFaroese, English
- Maikolequivalent
- Maicolborrowing · Portuguese
- MaikelDutch
- Mikhailocognate
- Mykhailoequivalent
- Mickaelalso known as · mfe, English
- Mitchelequivalent
- Mickieequivalent
- MihajloSerbo-Croatian, Croatian
- Mihaicognate · Romanian
- Michalinafeminine form
- Mayconequivalent
- Maiconborrowing · Portuguese
- Mykeltirelated form
- Mikailirelated form
- Michonrelated form
- Mijaelequivalent
- Nichaelequivalent
- Micholasequivalent
- MikielMaltese
- MikalaHawaiian
- MykolasLithuanian
- MihaelSlovene, Croatian
- MikaeliFinnish
- MichaleEnglish
- MicahelEnglish
- MakalEnglish
- MakaelEnglish
- MachaelEnglish
- Michaiłequivalent
- Micheliequivalent
- Michasequivalent
- Михаилъequivalent
- मिंगेलequivalent
- Михалequivalent
- Махӏамequivalent
- Михајequivalent
- Міхаілequivalent
- Maaylequivalent
- ميخائيلequivalent
- Mikkeliequivalent
- ميكائيلequivalent
- Michaelson“son of” surname · English
- Майклborrowing · Russian
- Mycockpatronymic from · English
- Maixălderivative · pox
- مايكلborrowing · Arabic
- 米高borrowing · Chinese
- 邁克爾borrowing · Chinese
- Михайлоcognate · Ukrainian
- 麥可borrowing · Chinese
And 75 more.
See also 9
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
- Gabrielsee also
- Rachelsee also
- Raphaelsee also
- Micaiahshares a root
- Micashares a root
- Mikkisee also
- Michaiahshares a root
- Revelationsee also
Show 1 moreShow fewer
People named Michael
- Michael JacksonAmerican singer, songwriter, record producer, and dancer (1958–2009)
- Martin Luther King Jr.American Baptist minister and civil rights leader (1929–1968)
- Michael FaradayBritish scientist (1791–1867)
- Michael SchumacherGerman racing driver (born 1969)
- Michael JordanAmerican basketball player and businessman (born 1963)
- Mike PenceVice President of the United States from 2017 to 2021born 1959
- Michael CaineEnglish actor (born 1933)
- Mike TysonAmerican boxer and media personality (born 1966)
- Michael PhelpsAmerican swimmer (born 1985)
Characters named Michael: Michael Scofield (Prison Break), Michael Myers (the Halloween franchise), Michael Corleone (The Godfather series), Michael Dawson (the American mystery fiction television series Lost).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
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Similar names
If you love Michael, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Thomas
“twin”
>99% boys
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Peter
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David
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Mark
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Ike
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