What does the name Michael mean?

Michael means who is like God? A rhetorical name honoring the archangel.

Where does the name Michael come from?

Michael is a boy name of Hebrew origin.

Is Michael a boy or a girl name?

Michael is used for both. In U.S. Social Security records, about 0% of children given the name Michael are girls and 100% are boys.

How popular is the name Michael in 2023?

Michael ranks #6099 for boys in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 1957 with 93,036 babies.

How do you pronounce Michael?

Michael is pronounced MY-kel (2 syllables).

What are common spellings of Michael?

Michael is also written as Mikhail, Miguel, Mikael.

A name from Hebrew · Boy

Michael

Who is like God? A rhetorical name honoring the archangel.

Compare

Popularity over time

A 143-year arc in numbers.

4,410,430 U.S. births recorded from 1880–2023.

Popularity · 1880–2023

8,450 births in 2023

1880 1951 2023

Babies named per year Peak year Most recent

Meaning

A name that means something.

MWho is like God? A rhetorical name honoring the archangel.

Variants & spellings

3 ways to spell "Michael".

Each transliteration carries a slightly different cultural fingerprint.

Mikhail Most common Miguel Mikael

Famous bearers

People who carry the name Michael.

M
Michael Jordan
M
Michael Jackson

Quick answers

People often ask about Michael.

What does the name Michael mean?: Michael means who is like God? A rhetorical name honoring the archangel.
Where does the name Michael come from?: Michael is a boy name of Hebrew origin.
Is Michael a boy or a girl name?: Michael is used for both. In U.S. Social Security records, about 0% of children given the name Michael are girls and 100% are boys.
How popular is the name Michael in 2023?: Michael ranks #6099 for boys in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 1957 with 93,036 babies.
How do you pronounce Michael?: Michael is pronounced MY-kel (2 syllables).
What are common spellings of Michael?: Michael is also written as Mikhail, Miguel, Mikael.

Similar names

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Supplanter; one who follows

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#133

Girl ·Hebrew

Bitter; beloved; wished-for child

God is my oath; consecrated to God

Supplanter; one who follows

About this page

Popularity counts come from the U.S. Social Security Administration's national dataset. Meanings and origins are curated from etymological sources. If you spot an error, please let us know.