Michael
How to say it: MY-kuhl · /ˈmaɪkəl/
Who is like God? — a rhetorical Hebrew question implying none can equal the divine.
Michael was the 23rd most popular boys’ name in the United States in 2025, given to 8,094 babies (Social Security Administration). Its busiest decade was the 1960s, its births are down about 44% in ten years, and it is projected to slip to #43 by 2030.
Updated · SSA 2025 data, published May 2026 · Insee 2025 data, published July 2026 · How we compute these figures
Key facts
| Rank among boys’ names, 2025 | #23 |
|---|---|
| Babies born in 2025 | 8,094 |
| Share of births | 1 in 394 |
| Peak decade | 1960s |
| Change over 10 years | −44% |
| Projected rank for 2030 (estimate) | #43 |
| In France, 2025 | #370 among boys’ names, 80 births |
Sources: Social Security Administration (SSA), Insee (France). How we compute these figures.
Its life, decade by decade
Once dominant in the 1960s, Michael has faded to far below that high. A further gentle slip seems probable shortly.
What goes with it
Solid and familiar, Michael mixes soft and crisp sounds with strength plus biblical roots and a saintly history. David reflects a similar tradition, and Mike remains a classic short form.
Middle names that flow with Michael →
Parents who love Michael also love
Nicknames
- Mike
- Mick
- Mikey
- Micky
Honouring a Michael in the family
In the classroom
In a class of 25 children born in 2025, the chance that another child is called Michael is about 1 in 17.
Around the world
This spelling is used in Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Norwegian.
In France: #370 for boys in 2025.
England and Wales: #85. Ireland: #22.
Famous people named Michael
- Michael Jackson (1958–2009)American singer, songwriter, record producer, and dancer
- Michael Schumacher (born 1969)German racing driver
- Michael Jordan (born 1963)American basketball player and businessman
From Wikidata and Wikipedia
Good to know
- Hurricane Michael (2018, Cat 5) retired by WMO in March 2019; will never again be used for an Atlantic storm
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