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At a Glance: Name: Michael – Meaning: who is like God? – Origin: Hebrew – Gender: Boy – Pronunciation: MY-kul
Michael is a Hebrew name meaning "who is like God?", pronounced MY-kul (/ˈmaɪkəl/). It's a timeless classic, and it's easy to see why — this is a name that has stayed in steady use for well over a century. If you want something familiar and easy for teachers, coworkers, and grandparents alike to say on the first try, Michael fits.
Meaning & Origin of Michael
Meaning: Who is like god?.
Origin: Hebrew.
Source: Wiktionary, Wikipedia.
How to Pronounce Michael
Phonetic: MY-kul IPA: /ˈmaɪkəl/
Popularity of Michael
Michael hit its all-time high in 1954, when 88,564 boys were given the name and it ranked #1 in the country. It's cooled off since then but remains genuinely popular today, ranking #18 in 2024 with 8,189 babies named Michael that year.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1880–2024.
Make Michael Name Art
Free printable nursery art for Michael, pre-loaded below — pick a layout, palette, and font, then download a print-ready PNG.
Names With a Similar Story
Derived from shared style, era, and origin data (or, for names we have no style data for, a similar Social Security popularity trajectory) — not a hand-picked list.
FAQ
What does the name Michael mean?
Who is like god?. (Source: Wiktionary, https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Michael)
How do you pronounce Michael?
Michael is pronounced MY-kul (IPA: /ˈmaɪkəl/).
Is Michael a popular name right now?
Michael peaked at #1 in 1954 and is ranked #18 as of 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1880–2024.)
📊 How popular is Michael? See the full popularity history, trend data, and ranking since 1880 with our free Baby Name Popularity Checker.
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