Micah

Micah for boys#90 US

A shortened form of Micaiah, Micah is an Old Testament name, meaning "who is like the Lord". The biblical figure is a minor prophet who denounced oppression from the ruling classes and alternated between prophecies of doom and hope.

Micah was among the Old Testament names revived by the Puritans in the 17th century, and it was used by early Pilgrim settlers in America. It wasn't until the 1970s, however, that it really saw significant usage.

Entering into the Top 200 back in the 80s, Micah has since made a slow and steady climb to the Top 100. Given to over 3900 boys – and 300 girls – each year, Micah now feels established but not overused.

In pop culture, Micah has been used for characters in the animated series She-Ra: Princess of Power and in television show Heroes. It was also selected by Arthur Conan Doyle as the central character for his non-Holmes novel, Micah Clarke.

Other noteworthy namesakes include footballers Micah Parsons, Micah Richards, and Micah Hyde, along with long distance runner Micah Kogo. Celebrities including actress Sarah Drew, basketball player Moses Malone, singer Lauryn Hill, musician Willie Nelson, and singer Neil Diamond all have sons called Micah.

Popular in New Zealand and climbing the UK charts too, Micah makes a sleek but sparky choice for anyone honoring a Michael or wanting a name with history that still feels fresh.

If you like Micah but prefer something outside the Top 100, or just want more inspiration, you could try a lesser-known Biblical name, like Nekoda, Neriah, Tekoa, Zaccai, Ira, Jethro, or Jarah.

Micah for girls#909 US

While Micah is traditionally a boy name, it is now increasingly used for girls too, likely because it works as an alternative to Michaela, Maia, and McKenna. Still, Micaiah, the name from which Micah is derived, is a unisex name in the Bible, so it seems plausible that its contracted form might be used as such too.

Micah had been in the US Top 1000 since the 1980s, dropped off in 2022, only to return in 2024 when it was one of the fastest rising names of the year. While it was used 12 times more often on boys in the States, more than 320 girls received the name that year. Notable namesakes include Canadian ice hockey player Micah Zandee-Hart, singer Micah Marah, and Olympic swimmer Micah Lawrence Sumrall. TV personality, actress, and social media star Micah Lussier may also have helped to bring this name back into the public eye.

If you like Micah but would prefer something more established as a feminine name, you could try the original, Biblical Micaiah, the German variant of Mary, Meike, which is pronounced the same, or perhaps on-trend Myla, a feminine form of Miles.