Michael

Hebrew
"who is like God?"

Michael Origin and Meaning

The name Michael is a boy's name of Hebrew origin meaning "who is like God?".

Michael was the Number 1 American boys' name for almost half a century. While Michael has moved out of the Top 10 baby boy names, it's still widely used.

How has Michael racked up this phenomenal record? Credit its use by parents of diverse ethnic and religious groups, and Michael's all-around likability, strength, and sincerity.

Michael was derived from the name Mikha’el, which comes from the rhetorical question mī kā’ēl, meaning "who is like God?" in Hebrew. In the Bible, Michael is the archangel who led the other angels to victory in a war against Satan, one of only two archangels (the other is Gabriel) recognized by Jews, Christians and Muslims alike.

Today, Michael may feel more like a dad name than a baby name. Substitutes you might consider include Micah, Malachi, Gabriel and Raphael.

# 16 in the US

Michael Rank in US Top 1000

# 145 on Nameberry

Michael Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

Michael Popularity

Famous People Named Michael

  • Michael I
    IX, Byzantine emperors
  • Michael I
    King of Romania
  • Michael Asen I
    III, Tsars of Bulgaria
  • Michael
    grandson of Uzzi, great,grandson of patriarch Issachar (1 Chr. 7:3)
  • Michael
    Biblical archangel
  • Michael
    descendant of patriarch Benjamin (1 Chr. 8:16)
  • Michael
    son of Judean King Jehoshaphat (2 Chr. 21:2)
  • Michael Alexandrovich
    Grand Duke of Russia
  • Michael Nikolaevich
    Grand Duke of Russia
  • Michael the Brave
    Prince of Wallachia
  • Michael Joseph Jackson
    American singer, dancer and songwriter
  • Michael Jeffrey Jordan
    American basketball player
  • Michael Collins
    American astronaut
  • Michael Collins
    Irish revolutionary leader
  • Michael Kirk Douglas
    American actor
  • Michael Philip "Mick" Jagger
    lead singer of English band The Rolling Stones
  • Michael Landon (born Eugene Maurice Orowitz)
    American actor
  • Michael Mario Andretti
    American racing driver
  • Michael Stanley Dukakis
    American politician, governor of Massachusetts
  • Michael Steven Buble
    Canadian singer
  • Michael Dale "Mike" Huckabee
    American politician, former governor of Arkansas
  • Michael Richard "Mike" Pence
    48th Vice President of the United States
  • Michael Rubens Bloomberg
    American politician, former mayor of New York City
  • Michael Caine (born Maurice Joseph Micklewhite)
    English actor
  • Michael John Burkett aka Fat Mike
    lead singer of American band NOFX
  • Michael John Clarke
    Australian cricketer
  • Michael Francis Moore
    American documentary filmmaker
  • Michael Llodra
    French tennis player
  • Michael Clarke Duncan
    American actor
  • Michael Crabtree
    American football player
  • Michael John "Mike" Myers
    Canadian,American actor/comedian
  • Michael Carl "Mike" Bryan
    American tennis player
  • Michael Gerard "Mike" Tyson
    American boxer
  • Michael Gordon "Mike" Oldfield
    English musician
  • Michael Deane "Mike" Harris
    Canadian politician, former premier of Ontario
  • Michael Scudamore Redgrave
    English actor
  • (Robert) Michael Nesmith
    American musician of The Monkees
  • Michael Keaton (born Michael John Douglas)
    American actor
  • Michael Ealy
    American actor
  • Michael Emerson
    American actor
  • Michael Fassbender
    German,Irish actor
  • Michael J. (Andrew) Fox
    Canadian,American actor
  • Michael John Gambon
    Irish actor
  • Michael Carlyle Hall
    American actor
  • Michael Soren Madsen
    American actor
  • Michael J. Harney
    American actor
  • Michael Jones
    American YouTuber
  • Michael David Kors (born Karl Anderson Jr.)
    American fashion designer
  • Michael Omartian
    American singer,songwriter and producer
  • Michael Manning Weatherly Jr
    American actor
  • Michael Hazen James McIntyre
    English comedian
  • Michael Morpurgo (born Michael Andrew Bridge)
    English children's author
  • Michael John Nelson
    American comedian
  • Michael Edward Killeen Hussey
    Australian cricketer
  • Michael Nigro
    American actor
  • Michael Fred Phelps
    American Olympic swimmer
  • Michael "Mike" Pilavachi
    British evangelist
  • Michael Rooker
    American actor
  • Michael Schumacher
    German racing driver
  • Michael Scott
    Irish author
  • Michael Anthony Strahan
    American NFL football player and talk show host
  • Michael Dwayne Vick
    American NFL football player
  • Michael McDonald
    American singer of The Doobie Brothers
  • Michael Mackintosh Foot
    British MP
  • Michael Andrew Foster Jude Kerr
    13th Marquess of Lothian, Baron Kerr of Monteviot, British MP
  • Michael Terry Weiss
    American actor
  • Michael Austin Cera
    American actor
  • (John) Michael Stipe
    lead singer of American band R.E.M.
  • Michael Anthony Beach
    American actor
  • Michael Ian Black
    American actor/comedian
  • Michael Willy Schenker
    German guitarist of band UFO
  • Michael James Owen
    English footballer
  • Michael Medved
    American radio host
  • Michael Donald Kirby
    former Australian High Court justice
  • Michael Leonard Brecker
    American jazz saxophonist
  • Michael Rex Giles
    drummer of English band King Crimson
  • Michael Laudrup
    Danish footballer
  • Michael Grant
    American novelist
  • (George) Michael Sinclair Kennedy
    English biographer and music critic
  • Michael Ryan Pritchard
    birth name of Mike Dirnt, bassist for American band Green DayDa
  • Michael James "Mikey" Way
    bassist for American rock band My Chemical Romance
  • Michael Gordon Clifford
    musician of Australian band 5 Seconds Of Summer
  • Michael Raymond
    James, American actor
  • Michael Whitaker Smith
    American Christian Musician
  • Michael Stevens
    American vlogger & creator of science channel brand Vsauce
  • Michael Daniel Higgins
    9th President of Ireland
  • Michael Parsons
    American ice dancer
  • Michael Jung
    German horse rider
  • Michael Dorn
    American actor and voice artist
  • Michael Richards
    American actor, writer, television producer and comedian
  • Michael Bay
    American filmmaker
  • Michael Chertoff
    2nd United States Secretary of Homeland Security
  • Michael Buffer
    American ring announcer for boxing and proffesional wrestling
  • Michael Zazarino
    actor
  • Johann Michael Haydn
    Austrian composer
  • Michael "Mike" Christopher Fuentes
    drummer of band Pierce the Veil
  • Michael Bakari Jordan
    American actor
  • Michael Robert Wahlberg
    son of American actor Mark Wahlberg
  • Michael Richard Wayans
    son of actor Damon Wayans
  • Michael James Duggar (b. 2011)
    son of reality TV personalities Josh and Anna Duggar
  • Michael "Mike" Shinoda
    of band Linkin Park
  • Michael Kucharski
    Australian YouTuber, also known as Slazo
  • Michael "Mike" Zapcic
    star of AMC's Comic Book Men
  • Michael Campion
    American actor

Michael in Pop Culture

  • Michael Poole
    a character in Stephen Baxter's "Xeelee Sequence"
  • Michael Corleone
    main character in "The Godfather" trilogy
  • Michael Langdon
    character in "American Horror Story"
  • Ponyboy Michael Curtis
    main character in S.E. Hinton's "The Outsiders"
  • Michael "Mike" Wazowski
    main character in Pixar's "Monsters, Inc."
  • Michael Scott
    character on American TV's version of "The Office"
  • Michael Bluth
    character on TV's "Arrested Development"
  • Michael Kelso
    character on TV's "That '70s Show"
  • Michael Weaver
    character in Myra McEntire's Hourglass series
  • Michael Samuelle
    character on TV's "La Femme Nikita"
  • Michael James "Mike" Ross
    character on TV's "Suits"
  • Michael gray
    character on bbc’s Peaky blinders
  • Michael Glass
    character in "Morganville Vampires" series
  • Michael Aaron "Mike" Seaver
    character on TV's "Growing Pains"
  • Michael Scofield
    main character on TV's "Prison Break"
  • Michael Vaughn
    character on TV's "Alias" played by Michael Vartan
  • Michael Moscovitz
    character in "The Princess Diaries" series
  • Michael De Santa
    character in video game "Grand Theft Auto 5"
  • Michael J. Caboose
    character in web series "Red vs Blue"
  • Michael
    archangel on TV's "Supernatural"
  • Michael Hobbs
    character in movie "Elf"
  • Michael Roberts
    character in movie "Small Island"
  • Michael Tietjens
    character in movie "Parade's End"
  • Michael Newman
    character in movie "Click"
  • Michael Edward Moon
    character on British soap "EastEnders"
  • Michael Dawson
    character on TV's "Lost"
  • Michael Zhang
    character in video game "The Sims"
  • Michael Bachelor
    character in video game "The Sims"
  • Michael McCarthy
    character in video game "The Sims"
  • Michael "Mick" Taylor
    character in "Wolf Creek"
  • Michael Vey
    main character Richard Paul Evans' book series
  • Michael Becket
    character in the video game series "F.E.A.R."
  • Michael "Mike" Rollins / Steel
    character in the book "After the Hole" and it's film adaptation "The Hole"
  • Michael Corinthos III
    character on soap "General Hospital"
  • Michael Myers
    main character in the "Halloween" movie series
  • Michael
    character in Barney's Backyard Gang
  • Michael "Mike" Munroe
    character in video game "Until Dawn"
  • Michael Jon Carter aka Booster Gold
    character in DC Unierse
  • Michael Patterson
    character in comic strip "For Better or for Worse"
  • Michael "Mike" Wheeler
    character in "Stranger Things"
  • Michael Deets
    character in "South Park"
  • Michael
    character in "South Park"
  • "Michael
    " movie about the angel starring John Travolta
  • "Michael
    Row the Boat Ashore," gospel song
  • "Michael
    " song by Scottish rock band Franz Ferdinand
  • Michael King
    pseudonym used early in the career of real life
  • Brooklyn Born Political Leader Rabbi Meir Kahane (1932
    90)
  • Michael "Mike" Crew
    character on "The Magnus Archives"
  • Michael
    a different character on "The Magnus Archives"

Michael in Nameberry Blog Posts