Given name & surname

Michelle

“who is like God?”·“from the bank's meadow”·“from the meadow's ledge”

In French use, Michelle is a feminine form of Michael. One Hebrew interpretation is “who is like God?.” In English use, Michelle has a related form in Shelley. Interpretations include “from the bank's meadow” (English) and “from the meadow's ledge” (English). These may reflect different naming traditions.

Original FrenchMichel

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Meaning & origin

What it means

In French use, Michelle carries the interpretation “who is like God?.” In French use, Michelle is a feminine form of Michael. One Hebrew interpretation is “who is like God?.” In English use, Michelle has a related form in Shelley. Interpretations include “from the bank's meadow” (English) and “from the meadow's ledge” (English). These may reflect different naming traditions.

Combines direct and name-family evidence

Where it comes from

An origin associated with this spelling is French.

How it developed

In French use, Michelle is used as a variant of Michele. Michelle is used as a feminine counterpart of Michael.

The story

Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1915. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. In English use, Michelle has a related form in Shelley. The history of Shelley gives this family its wider story. Shelley’s naming history includes the use of a family name as a given name.

Combines direct and name-family evidence

Michelle through the years

Babies since 1880: 819,760; 3,250 boys · 816,510 girls
Most popular year: 1969; 34,457 babies
2025: 661; #465 for girls
2021–25 vs 2016–20: −39%; Cooling

Michelle in U.S. Social Security birth records, 1915–2025, per million girls born. Years with fewer than five births for a sex are not published and appear as zero. Use the arrow keys to step through years.

Where it’s given

Most at home inNew Jersey, Illinois, New York

FewerMore, relative to births Not published

2025 births by state of birth. Tiles are equal-sized so small states stay visible. Highest rates: New Jersey (33), Illinois (38), New York (56), California (108), Georgia (27).

By the numbers

In 2025, this name appeared in 661 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 465 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 39.3% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 34,319 in 1969. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (108). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 757,098 as a first name in 2020; 1,169 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.

Michelle’s family of names

In English usage, Michelle has a diminutive in Mickey. Michelle is a feminine form of Michael. In English usage, Michelle has a related form in Michele.

Walk Michelle’s family in the name graph

Around the world

Michelle has relatives in 9 languages. Lines run from its French roots to each of them.

Frenchwhere Michelle comes from · 3 names

Each dot marks where a language is rooted, not where people with the name live today. Bigger dots hold more names. Dots on the border stand for languages further away. Language locations from Glottolog (CC BY 4.0); map from Natural Earth.

Nicknames & forms 42

Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.

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Spellings & scripts 2

The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.

Across languages 14

Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.

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People named Michelle

Characters named Michelle: MJ (the Marvel Cinematic Universe), Michelle Dessler (the television series 24).

Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.

Appears in

Similar names

If you love Michelle, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.

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Sibling ideas

Names that share Michelle’s feel without repeating its first letter or rhyming with it.

A brother for Michelle

A sister for Michelle

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