Michael
Boy nameMichael has been given to 4,448,633 babies in the U.S. since 1880. It peaked in 1957 and currently ranks #21 for boys (2025).
Meaning & origin /ˈmaɪkəl/
From Middle English Michael, from Old French Michel, Old English Michahel, from their source Latin Michaēl, Michāhēl, from Ancient Greek Μῐχᾱήλ (Mĭkhāḗl)API, from Biblical Hebrew מִיכָאֵל (mîḵāʾēl, literally “who is like God?”). Doublet of Miguel and Mikhail.
Origin: Hebrew
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Popularity over time births per year, 1880–2025
Total babies
4,448,633
Peak year
1957 (93,036 babies)
Rank in 2025
#21 for boys
First recorded
1880
10-year trend
▼ -44%
Gender split
0% girls / 100% boys
Famous people named Michael
Michael Jackson
American singer, songwriter, record producer, and dancer (1958–2009)
Martin Luther King Jr.
American Baptist minister and civil rights leader (1929–1968)
Michael Faraday
British scientist (1791–1867)
Michael Schumacher
German racing driver (born 1969)
Notability data from Wikidata (CC0).
Names with a similar vibe
Same primary gender, peaked around the same years, and roughly as common as Michael.
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