Michael
Hebrew
"who is like God?"
Share
Copy link
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
- Names Similar to Michael
- Famous People Named Michael
- The name Michael in Pop Culture
- The name Michael in Nameberry Blog Posts
- The name Michael in Nameberry Forums
# 988 on Nameberry
Michael Rank in Nameberry Top 1000
Popularity of the name Michael
- 988Nameberry2025
20 Names Similar to Michael
These 20 names were selected by our users that were looking for other names like Michael.
Famous People Named Michael
- ParisMichael Katherine Jackson, daughter of the late Michael Jackson
- Michael LearnedAmerican actress
- Susan Nancy Thomas "Michael Steele"bassist for American bands The Runaways and The Bangles
- Michael Williams MicheleAmerican actress
- Michael Margaret Stewart6th First Lady of Alaska as wife of Governor Steve Cowper
- Charlene "Michael" HyattBritish,born American actress
- Michael Christian Bates "Michaela" Keilen (b. 1990)2nd child of the reality TV show "Bringing Up Bates" family
- Lauren Michael HollyAmerican actress
The name Michael in Pop Culture
- Michael Burnhama lead female character on "Star Trek: Discovery"
The name Michael in Nameberry Blog Posts
- Sibling Names: The Ultimate Guide
- Australia's Top Baby Names of 2024
- 12 Boy Names That Deserve More Love
- Top Baby Names 2024 Revealed!
- Top Names in Each State Revealed!
- Extravagant Boy Names Stand Out
- Top Baby Names 2024: The Playground Analysis
- Dad Names: Is Yours On The List?
- Canada's New Top Baby Names
- 100+ Unique Unisex Middle Names
- Secret Celebrity Middle Names
- How Gen Z Is Your Name?
- Top Baby Names 2023: The Playground Analysis
- O Boy! The Best Boy Names Ending in O
- Initial Names: From AJ to Zee
- Backwards Names Have Hidden Meaning
- Unique Middle Names You Didn't Even Know Were Names
- 100 Most Common Last Names in the US
- Back to School Names
- Sister Names Share Style
- Spanish Names Trending in the US
- Waldorf Names: Whimsical and Wonderful
- Spanish Nature Names Soar Beyond Luna
- Feminist Names For Empowered Children
- Top 100 Boy Names of 2014
- Baby Names Before 1850
- 20 Best Super Sleuth Names for Boys
- Playground Analysis: The REAL Top 50 Names
- Angel Names: 25 heavenly names for your little cherub
- The REAL Top Baby Names of All Time!
- Most Popular Baby Names of 2017
- Hawaiian Names: The Ultimate Guide
- Newest Babyberry Births: Olga, Olive and Kit
- 20 Most Controversial Baby Names
- Names That Let You Have It Both Ways
- Middle Name Trends 2025
- Nameberry’s Names of the Year 2016
- Double-Barrel Names: US vs. UK
- The Top Global Names Right Now