Michel
How to say it: mee-SHEL · /miˈʃɛl/
Hebrew 'who is like God?' - French form of Michael, dominant mid-20th century classic.
Michel was the 3,767th most popular boys’ name in the United States in 2025, given to 22 babies (Social Security Administration). Its busiest decade was the 1950s, its births are down about 41% in ten years, and it is projected to slip to #3,827 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 | #3,767 |
|---|---|
| Babies born in 2025 | 22 |
| Share of births | 1 in 150,697 |
| Peak decade | 1950s |
| Change over 10 years | −41% |
| Projected rank for 2030 (estimate) | #3,827 |
| In France, 2025 | #598 among boys’ names, 60 births |
Sources: Social Security Administration (SSA), Insee (France). How we compute these figures.
Its life, decade by decade
Michel peaked in the 1950s and is less common today.
What goes with it
In the classroom
In a class of 25 children born in 2025, the chance that another child is called Michel is about under 1 in 200.
Around the world
This spelling is used in Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Hebrew, Norwegian, Swedish.
In France: #598 for boys in 2025.
Famous people named Michel
- Michel Platini (born 1955)French football player, manager and executive
- Michel de Montaigne (1533–1592)French author, philosopher, and statesman
- Michel Foucault (1926–1984)French philosopher
From Wikidata and Wikipedia
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