Michael

Hebrew

"who is like God?"

Michael Origin and Meaning

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

You might be surprised -- we were -- that Michael ranked in the Top 1000 for GIRLS' names for more than half a century, from 1938 until 1994. In the late 1970s and early 80s, during the heyday of The Waltons which starred actress Michael Learned, it reached as high as the 300s.

What happened then? Our guess is that the rise of Michaela, the tenacity of Michael at the head of the boys' list, and the popularity of Michelle/Michele all conspired to knock Michael-for-girls off the list. And giving this name to your daughter would invite a lifetime of explanations, though it does have a musical sound that can be as attractive for girls as it is for boys...and a darn sight fresher.

Michael Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

# 988 on Nameberry

Popularity of the name Michael

• 988 Nameberry 2025

20 Names Similar to Michael

These 20 names were selected by our users that were looking for other names like Michael.

• Dan
• Tracy
• Clinton
• Tammy
• Jackie
• Jody
• Kerry
• Kim
• Liz
• Sue
• Merilee
• Sheldon
• Jean
• Angie
• Tim
• Britney
• Gary
• Abbey
• Shauna
• Janis

Famous People Named Michael

• Paris Michael Katherine Jackson, daughter of the late Michael Jackson
• Michael Learned American actress
• Susan Nancy Thomas "Michael Steele" bassist for American bands The Runaways and The Bangles
• Michael Williams Michele American actress
• Michael Margaret Stewart 6th First Lady of Alaska as wife of Governor Steve Cowper
• Charlene "Michael" Hyatt British,born American actress
• Michael Christian Bates "Michaela" Keilen (b. 1990) 2nd child of the reality TV show "Bringing Up Bates" family
• Lauren Michael Holly American actress

The name Michael in Pop Culture

• Michael Burnham a lead female character on "Star Trek: Discovery"