Given name & surname
Michele
“who is like God?”
Michele is a variant of Michael. One Hebrew interpretation is “who is like God?.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Michele is a variant of Michael. One Hebrew interpretation is “who is like God?.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Michele is a variant of Michael. An origin associated with Michael is Hebrew.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In Italian usage, Michele developed from Μιχαήλ.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1905. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Michele through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 226,063
- 2,764 boys · 223,299 girls
- Most popular year
- 1968
- 11,281 babies
- 2025
- 28
- #4,837 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −30%
- Easing
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 18% boys.
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 28 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 4,837 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 25.3% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 11,219 in 1968. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 199,114 as a first name in 2020; 562 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.
Michele’s family of names
Michele has a diminutive in Micheline. In Italian usage, Michele has a later derivative in Migaleddu. Michele has a related form in Michael.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Michele has relatives in 35 languages.
37 related names in 35 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 6
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 2
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 55
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- MiguelSpanish, Portuguese
- MichaelaCzech
- Mikaelaequivalent
- MikaelSwedish, Norwegian
- Micaelaequivalent
- MikeEnglish
- Mikhailequivalent
- MikkoFinnish
Show 47 moreShow fewer
- Mikailequivalent
- MichalSlovak, Czech
- MickEnglish
- Mikkelequivalent
- Mykhailoequivalent
- MihajloSerbian
- Michalinaequivalent
- MihaiRomanian
- Mayconequivalent
- Mikielequivalent
- Miguelinaequivalent
- Mihaelaequivalent
- Miguelaequivalent
- Michailequivalent
- Frenchoriginal
- MihaelSlovene, Croatian
- MichielDutch
- MykolasLithuanian
- MiquelCatalan
- Міхаілequivalent
- Micheliequivalent
- МайклRussian
- Migaledduderivative · Italian
- ΜιχαέλαGreek
- Μιχαήλroot · Greek, Ancient Greek
- MichałPolish
- MichaëlFrench
- Mickaëlequivalent
- Mikaeloequivalent
- Michelinoequivalent
- Mihangelequivalent
- Mikhaïlequivalent
- Mikkeliequivalent
- Mihkelequivalent
- MihályHungarian
- МихайлоUkrainian
- МихајлоSerbian
- МихаилRussian, Bulgarian
- MiķelisLatvian
- MikjállIcelandic
- MicheálIrish
- ΜιχάληςGreek
- მიხეილიGeorgian
- MiikaelEstonian
- MikeloEsperanto
- ՄիքայելArmenian
- MhillAlbanian
See also 2
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Michele
- Michele BachmannAmerican politician (born 1956)
- Michele PlacidoItalian actor and film directorborn 1946
- Michele ScarponiItalian road bicycle racer (1979–2017)
- Michele AlboretoItalian racecar driver1956–2001
- Michele FerreroItalian entrepreneur (1925-2015)
- Michele MorroneItalian actor, singer, and fashion designerborn 1990
- Michele SanmicheliItalian architect (1484–1559)
- Michele PerniolaItalian singer (1998-)
- Michele CaniniItalian association football playerborn 1985
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Michele, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Rochelle
“from the little rock”
>99% girls
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“ewe”
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“a man of the lake”
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“resembling a honeybee”
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Marcie
“dedicated to Mars, the god of war”
>99% girls
Marnie
“woman of the sea”
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Kimberlee
“of the royal fortress”
>99% girls
Malinda
“one who is sweet and gentle”
>99% girls