Michael Forename
Approximately 11,471,765 people bear this name
Michael Forename Definition:
A male name. Hebrew ‘Who is like unto the Lord?’ The name of one of the archangels, the leader of the heavenly host, and hence the patron of the christian warrior. St Michael and All Angels is one of the commonest church dedications (there are 687 in England and Wales) and the name was a favourite one from the 12th C onwards, giving rise to a number of surnames, such as Michell, Mitchell, Mitchelson, Mitchison, which show that the common pronunciation was like that of the French Michel.
Read More About This ForenameMichael Forename Distribution
| Place | Gender | Incidence | Frequency | Rank in Area |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 100% | 5,122,912 | 1:71 | 2 |
| Germany | 100% | 1,088,118 | 1:89 | 2 |
| England | 100% | 838,205 | 1:66 | 3 |
| Philippines | 99% | 547,421 | 1:194 | 6 |
| Nigeria | 100% | 334,386 | 1:531 | 72 |
| Ghana | 100% | 327,450 | 1:82 | 5 |
| Canada | 100% | 315,440 | 1:105 | 4 |
| Australia | - | 202,455 | 1:67 | 4 |
| Tanzania | 100% | 190,527 | 1:277 | 31 |
| Kenya | 100% | 182,475 | 1:254 | 31 |
| South Africa | 100% | 181,891 | 1:300 | 7 |
| Ireland | 100% | 159,253 | 1:29 | 2 |
| Eritrea | 100% | 100,861 | 1:47 | 6 |
| Uganda | 100% | 95,521 | 1:429 | 82 |
| Austria | 100% | 79,862 | 1:107 | 13 |
| Sierra Leone | - | 79,786 | 1:89 | 14 |
| Ethiopia | 100% | 79,411 | 1:1,229 | 216 |
| Brazil | 100% | 74,733 | 1:2,867 | 431 |
| Sudan | 100% | 65,840 | 1:574 | 100 |
| Denmark | - | 63,223 | 1:89 | 4 |
| Egypt | 100% | 58,927 | 1:1,560 | 243 |
| Netherlands | 100% | 55,808 | 1:303 | 41 |
| France | 100% | 54,024 | 1:1,230 | 208 |
| Scotland | 100% | 53,318 | 1:100 | 11 |
| New Zealand | - | 49,503 | 1:92 | 4 |
| Wales | 100% | 45,410 | 1:68 | 3 |
| Zambia | - | 44,881 | 1:353 | 62 |
| Mozambique | - | 41,759 | 1:652 | 140 |
| Malawi | 99% | 39,703 | 1:431 | 88 |
| Switzerland | 100% | 38,643 | 1:213 | 42 |
| Zimbabwe | 99% | 38,531 | 1:400 | 48 |
| Madagascar | 100% | 37,486 | 1:630 | 126 |
| Poland | 100% | 37,320 | 1:1,019 | 157 |
| South Sudan | 100% | 35,087 | 1:329 | 77 |
| Papua New Guinea | 98% | 34,831 | 1:234 | 10 |
| DR Congo | 93% | 33,793 | 1:2,185 | 359 |
| Indonesia | 99% | 31,217 | 1:8,264 | 1,095 |
| Rwanda | 100% | 27,072 | 1:420 | 80 |
| Thailand | 100% | 26,067 | 1:2,688 | 468 |
| Belgium | 100% | 24,123 | 1:476 | 102 |
| Northern Ireland | 100% | 23,652 | 1:78 | 11 |
| Cameroon | 100% | 20,181 | 1:1,071 | 216 |
| Central African Republic | - | 19,455 | 1:232 | 70 |
| India | 100% | 18,175 | 1:66,843 | 8,651 |
| Jamaica | - | 17,634 | 1:164 | 6 |
| Sri Lanka | - | 16,525 | 1:1,259 | 235 |
| Sweden | 100% | 15,469 | 1:637 | 122 |
| Angola | - | 14,981 | 1:1,800 | 364 |
| Costa Rica | 100% | 14,304 | 1:333 | 51 |
| China | - | 14,017 | 1:97,457 | 11,215 |
| Czechia | 100% | 13,767 | 1:774 | 146 |
| Malaysia | 99% | 13,353 | 1:2,280 | 214 |
| Peru | 100% | 12,889 | 1:2,467 | 465 |
| Chile | 99% | 12,793 | 1:1,376 | 240 |
| Namibia | - | 12,639 | 1:190 | 23 |
| Bangladesh | 100% | 10,906 | 1:14,621 | 1,784 |
| Burundi | 100% | 10,862 | 1:912 | 282 |
| Dominican Republic | - | 10,254 | 1:1,017 | 163 |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 100% | 9,291 | 1:147 | 2 |
| Spain | 100% | 9,133 | 1:5,095 | 491 |
| Venezuela | 100% | 8,781 | 1:3,439 | 489 |
| Togo | - | 8,076 | 1:896 | 112 |
| Gambia | - | 7,843 | 1:246 | 56 |
| Libya | - | 7,528 | 1:826 | 154 |
| East Timor | - | 7,445 | 1:164 | 61 |
| Liberia | 99% | 7,320 | 1:603 | 124 |
| Ecuador | - | 7,195 | 1:2,464 | 378 |
| Mexico | 90% | 7,154 | 1:17,353 | 1,145 |
| Italy | 100% | 6,635 | 1:9,203 | 603 |
| Cyprus | 100% | 5,828 | 1:149 | 25 |
| Japan | - | 5,783 | 1:22,131 | 1,793 |
| Greece | 100% | 5,731 | 1:1,908 | 211 |
| Portugal | - | 5,129 | 1:2,030 | 233 |
| Singapore | 100% | 4,872 | 1:1,290 | 148 |
| Bahrain | - | 4,735 | 1:285 | 39 |
| Solomon Islands | 100% | 4,538 | 1:128 | 7 |
| Norway | 100% | 4,464 | 1:1,150 | 254 |
| Malta | - | 4,437 | 1:97 | 8 |
| Botswana | 100% | 4,421 | 1:494 | 64 |
| Nicaragua | 97% | 4,311 | 1:1,396 | 268 |
| Haiti | 100% | 4,296 | 1:2,497 | 387 |
| Hong Kong | - | 4,018 | 1:1,929 | 147 |
| Bahamas | - | 3,968 | 1:101 | 5 |
| Guyana | 100% | 3,830 | 1:199 | 3 |
| Qatar | 100% | 3,775 | 1:628 | 25 |
| Fiji | - | 3,654 | 1:244 | 9 |
| Colombia | 98% | 3,531 | 1:13,531 | 1,083 |
| Barbados | - | 3,495 | 1:83 | 2 |
| Saudi Arabia | - | 3,322 | 1:9,275 | 1,356 |
| Morocco | 100% | 3,303 | 1:10,399 | 819 |
| Equatorial Guinea | - | 3,221 | 1:353 | 96 |
| Panama | 100% | 3,111 | 1:1,256 | 240 |
| Oman | - | 2,792 | 1:1,472 | 237 |
| Swaziland | - | 2,717 | 1:479 | 119 |
| Gabon | 100% | 2,325 | 1:810 | 171 |
| Bolivia | 100% | 2,249 | 1:4,714 | 731 |
| Iraq | 100% | 2,202 | 1:15,903 | 1,019 |
| Lebanon | 100% | 2,146 | 1:2,622 | 485 |
| Taiwan | 61% | 2,125 | 1:11,186 | 2,143 |
| Vanuatu | - | 1,988 | 1:132 | 8 |
| Chad | 100% | 1,915 | 1:7,101 | 1,149 |
| Romania | 100% | 1,906 | 1:10,520 | 848 |
| Samoa | - | 1,826 | 1:107 | 4 |
| Guatemala | 97% | 1,780 | 1:9,050 | 839 |
| Ivory Coast | 96% | 1,767 | 1:13,059 | 1,314 |
| Mali | 100% | 1,767 | 1:9,608 | 818 |
| Jersey | 100% | 1,760 | 1:57 | 3 |
| South Korea | 94% | 1,714 | 1:3,235 | 635 |
| Benin | 100% | 1,668 | 1:6,340 | 1,001 |
| Suriname | 100% | 1,645 | 1:336 | 17 |
| Guam | - | 1,567 | 1:103 | 3 |
| Lesotho | 100% | 1,532 | 1:1,332 | 184 |
| Curaçao | 100% | 1,279 | 1:122 | 5 |
| Finland | 100% | 1,240 | 1:4,422 | 548 |
| Grenada | 100% | 1,205 | 1:90 | 1 |
| Luxembourg | 100% | 1,185 | 1:476 | 113 |
| Saint Lucia | 100% | 1,182 | 1:150 | 7 |
| Belize | 100% | 1,112 | 1:319 | 18 |
| Dominica | - | 1,083 | 1:70 | 9 |
| Mauritius | 100% | 1,067 | 1:1,216 | 189 |
| Guernsey | 100% | 1,052 | 1:60 | 6 |
| Puerto Rico | - | 1,039 | 1:3,417 | 367 |
| Israel | 98% | 1,018 | 1:8,254 | 1,136 |
| Uruguay | 100% | 1,016 | 1:3,374 | 388 |
| United Arab Emirates | - | 978 | 1:7,313 | 832 |
| Isle of Man | 100% | 921 | 1:92 | 21 |
| Bermuda | - | 914 | 1:71 | 3 |
| Tuvalu | - | 896 | 1:12 | 5 |
| Estonia | 100% | 810 | 1:1,624 | 367 |
| United States Virgin Islands | - | 795 | 1:138 | 7 |
| Congo | 96% | 783 | 1:6,397 | 891 |
| Burkina Faso | 98% | 755 | 1:24,344 | 2,098 |
| Kiribati | - | 753 | 1:151 | 16 |
| Tonga | - | 642 | 1:167 | 40 |
| Comoros | - | 627 | 1:1,214 | 222 |
| Saint Martin | - | 614 | 1:58 | 13 |
| Cayman Islands | 100% | 597 | 1:103 | 3 |
| Aruba | - | 580 | 1:179 | 6 |
| Afghanistan | 79% | 537 | 1:60,751 | 2,704 |
| Honduras | 100% | 533 | 1:16,543 | 1,317 |
| Hungary | 100% | 522 | 1:18,758 | 394 |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 100% | 520 | 1:215 | 1 |
| Palau | - | 512 | 1:42 | 13 |
| Seychelles | 100% | 491 | 1:189 | 14 |
| Antigua and Barbuda | - | 476 | 1:209 | 7 |
| Vietnam | 100% | 475 | 1:194,996 | 1,299 |
| Cuba | - | 472 | 1:24,378 | 1,159 |
| Brunei | 100% | 465 | 1:902 | 84 |
| Gibraltar | - | 465 | 1:73 | 4 |
| Northern Mariana Islands | - | 452 | 1:121 | 7 |
| Croatia | 100% | 443 | 1:9,519 | 753 |
| Pakistan | 75% | 434 | 1:447,829 | 10,841 |
| French Polynesia | - | 400 | 1:695 | 145 |
| Greenland | - | 378 | 1:149 | 15 |
| Somalia | - | 359 | 1:37,677 | 2,151 |
| Micronesia | - | 329 | 1:324 | 67 |
| New Caledonia | 100% | 317 | 1:852 | 195 |
| Paraguay | 100% | 317 | 1:22,829 | 1,369 |
| Turks and Caicos Islands | 100% | 308 | 1:113 | 2 |
| American Samoa | - | 301 | 1:186 | 2 |
| Slovakia | 100% | 271 | 1:19,594 | 525 |
| Djibouti | - | 261 | 1:3,508 | 424 |
| Jordan | 100% | 255 | 1:34,615 | 1,346 |
| Liechtenstein | - | 238 | 1:159 | 34 |
| Mongolia | - | 233 | 1:12,596 | 1,752 |
| El Salvador | - | 211 | 1:30,056 | 1,282 |
| Algeria | - | 203 | 1:188,063 | 3,117 |
| Senegal | 99% | 192 | 1:75,945 | 2,459 |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | 100% | 191 | 1:287 | 19 |
| Monaco | 100% | 166 | 1:232 | 16 |
| Latvia | - | 159 | 1:12,677 | 751 |
| Turkey | 100% | 159 | 1:489,319 | 6,914 |
| Argentina | 85% | 155 | 1:275,956 | 2,838 |
| British Virgin Islands | 100% | 154 | 1:203 | 4 |
| Iceland | 100% | 132 | 1:2,773 | 425 |
| Armenia | 99% | 126 | 1:23,165 | 1,278 |
| Macau | - | 125 | 1:4,866 | 256 |
| Slovenia | 100% | 122 | 1:20,154 | 1,281 |
| Nauru | 96% | 116 | 1:103 | 5 |
| Kuwait | - | 114 | 1:33,204 | 3,097 |
| Marshall Islands | 100% | 112 | 1:457 | 25 |
| Lithuania | - | 111 | 1:26,594 | 893 |
| Cambodia | 100% | 110 | 1:147,939 | 5,468 |
| Andorra | - | 104 | 1:797 | 131 |
| Syria | - | 102 | 1:189,275 | 2,299 |
| Guinea | 100% | 100 | 1:118,586 | 2,248 |
| Iran | - | 95 | 1:826,283 | 7,766 |
| Cook Islands | 100% | 77 | 1:236 | 28 |
| Georgia | 95% | 69 | 1:54,181 | 2,585 |
| Myanmar | - | 65 | 1:799,204 | 618 |
| Falkland Islands | - | 63 | 1:50 | 1 |
| São Tomé and Príncipe | 100% | 58 | 1:3,310 | 615 |
| Saint Barthelemy | - | 49 | 1:195 | 62 |
| Azerbaijan | 100% | 48 | 1:200,895 | 6,406 |
| Palestine | 100% | 47 | 1:96,810 | 1,853 |
| Anguilla | 100% | 46 | 1:288 | 7 |
| Laos | - | 46 | 1:143,193 | 226 |
| Nepal | - | 45 | 1:633,052 | 16,706 |
| Tunisia | - | 45 | 1:15,042 | 1,266 |
| Cape Verde | - | 44 | 1:12,026 | 1,149 |
| Albania | 98% | 41 | 1:74,307 | 5,793 |
| Bulgaria | - | 38 | 1:183,958 | 4,830 |
| Faroe Islands | 100% | 35 | 1:1,404 | 301 |
| Guinea-Bissau | - | 25 | 1:69,129 | 61 |
| North Macedonia | 100% | 25 | 1:83,630 | 4,404 |
| Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha | - | 25 | 1:233 | 68 |
| Akrotiri and Dhekelia | 100% | 22 | 1:354 | 51 |
| Montenegro | 100% | 22 | 1:28,844 | 1,765 |
| Norfolk Island | - | 22 | 1:106 | 7 |
| Montserrat | - | 21 | 1:232 | 13 |
| Niue | - | 20 | 1:80 | 7 |
| Niger | 100% | 17 | 1:1,128,470 | 17,009 |
| Serbia | 100% | 15 | 1:476,381 | 4,855 |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 100% | 14 | 1:251,747 | 3,850 |
| Mauritania | 100% | 12 | 1:341,270 | 8,179 |
| San Marino | 100% | 12 | 1:2,743 | 338 |
| Wallis and Futuna | - | 9 | 1:1,503 | 36 |
| Maldives | 100% | 6 | 1:72,317 | 2,029 |
| Yemen | - | 6 | 1:4,382,792 | 4,591 |
| Northern Cyprus | 100% | 4 | 1:79,533 | 2,400 |
| Vatican City | - | 4 | 1:31 | 1 |
| Abkhazia | 100% | 2 | 1:121,711 | 2,524 |
| Bhutan | 100% | 2 | 1:412,464 | 4,948 |
| Kosovo | - | 2 | 1:930,720 | 16,593 |
| Pitcairn Islands | 100% | 1 | 1:52 | 1 |
| Saint Pierre and Miquelon | 100% | 1 | 1:6,315 | 385 |
The alternate forms: Michaèl (689), Michaél (22), Míchael (2) & Michäël (2) are calculated separately.
Michael (699,432) may also be a surname.
Michael Forename Meaning
From Where Does The Surname Originate? meaning and history
A male name. Hebrew ‘Who is like unto the Lord?’ The name of one of the archangels, the leader of the heavenly host, and hence the patron of the christian warrior. St Michael and All Angels is one of the commonest church dedications (there are 687 in England and Wales) and the name was a favourite one from the 12th C onwards, giving rise to a number of surnames, such as Michell, Mitchell, Mitchelson, Mitchison, which show that the common pronunciation was like that of the French Michel. Mighel was also a common medieval form of the name (cf. Cursor Mundi ‘The sothfastenes and nothing hele, That thow hadest of seynt Myghell'), and this in turn was reduced to Mihel, Miel, or Mial (cf. the surnames Mighill, Miall, Miell, Myhill). C. W. Bardsley, Dictionary of English and WelshSurnames (pub. 1901) quotes Hudibras to show how this pronunciation persisted: ‘At Michael's term had many a trial, Worse than the Dragon and St Michael.’ The name was not used in Ireland much before the 17th C, but is now one of the commonest Irish names, often abbreviated to Mick, Micky, or Mike.
Michael Curia Regis Rolls 1196-1215, Assize Rolls 1218, Feudal Aids 1303, 1346. Micahel Hundred Rolls 1279. Mikael Hundred Rolls 1279. Michell The Coventry Leet Book 1439, 13th C Brut. Mihill St Mich Cornhill 1549. Mighell Church Registers of St. Mary Aldermary, 1558-1754 1598. Myghchaell Records of St. Mary at Hill, 1420-1559 (E.E.T.S. 125-8) 1533.
Hebrew, ‘(he) who is like to God.’ As with John and Mark, so with Michael: we now think of it as an essentially British name, despite the fact that, in addition to being a favourite in Ireland, it is also a favourite in Germany, Spain, and Russia. Probably its popularity began in admiration for the Archangel Michael; moreover, knights received their spurs in the name of this chosen patron of Christian warriors: cf. the Order of St. Michael and St. George. (Swan.)
The Scripture name, in Hebrew מִיכָאֵל, Miykhael, from miy-k’-El, who [is] like God. The nickname is Mike.
Hebrew (masculine) - Who is like God?
My'-ka-el, who is like to God the lowliness of God. 1. The archangel who presided over the Jewish nation. Dan. x. 13; Rev. xii 7; Jude 9. 2. The father of Sethur, of the tribe of Asher. Num. xiii. 13. 3. One of the valiant men who took part with David against Saul. 1 Chron. xii 20. 4. The son of king Jehoshaphat 2 Chron. xxi. 2.
Meaning: who is as God?.
A Hebrew name, meaning: Godly.
Michael Forename Popularity
Michael Demographics
Michael Religious Adherence
in Russia
Religious Adherence
in Russia
Phonetically Similar Names
Michael Name Transliterations
| Transliteration | ICU Latin | Percentage of Incidence |
|---|---|---|
| Michael in the Russian language | ||
| Мичаель | micael | - |
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Footnotes
- First names are taken from the first part of an person's personal name. That is, not their inherited name(s), i.e. their surname(s). The first name includes particles, but not middle names
- Descriptions may contain details on the name's etymology, origin, ethnicity and history. They are largely reproduced from 3rd party sources; diligence is advised on accepting their validity - more information
- Name distribution statistics are generated from a global database of over 4 billion people - more information
- Heatmap: Dark red means there is a higher occurrence of the name, transitioning to light yellow signifies a progressively lower occurrence. Clicking on selected countries will show mapping at a regional level
- Rank: Name are ranked by incidence using the ordinal ranking method; the name that occurs the most is assigned a rank of 1; name that occur less frequently receive an incremented rank; if two or more name occur the same number of times they are assigned the same rank and successive rank is incremented by the total preceeding names
- Ethnic group cannot necessarily be determined by geographic occurrence
- Similar: Names listed in the "Similar" section are phonetically similar and may not have any relation to Michael