Given name & surname
Mischa
“who is like God?”
Mischa is a variant of Michael. One Hebrew interpretation is “who is like God?.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
In Russian use, Mischa carries the interpretation “who is like God?.” Mischa is a variant of Michael. One Hebrew interpretation is “who is like God?.”
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Russian.
How it developed
Mischa is used as a form of Michelle.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1953. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Mischa through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 1,891
- 198 boys · 1,693 girls
- Most popular year
- 2008
- 125 babies
- 2025
- 26
- #5,059 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −17%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 26 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 5,059 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 28.5% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 125 in 2008. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (5). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 1,781 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Mischa’s family of names
Mischa has a related form in Michael. Mischa is a form of Michelle. Mischa has a related form in Misha.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 2
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 3
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Mischa
- Mischa BartonBritish-American actress and modelborn 1986
- Mischa MaiskyLatvian-Israeli cellistborn 1948
- Mischa ZverevGerman tennis playerborn 1987
- Mischa AuerRussian-born American actor (1905-1967)
- Mischa ElmanAmerican violinist (1891–1967)
- Mischa BredewoldDutch cyclistborn 2000
- Mischa LevitzkiRussian-born American concert pianist (1898–1941)
- Mischa SpolianskyRussian-born German composer1898–1985
- Mischa BakaleinikovMusical director, composer and conductor (1890–1960)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Mischa, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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