Michael (given name)

Michael is a usually masculine given name derived from the Hebrew phrase מי כאל‎ mī kāʼēl, 'Who [is] like-El', in Aramaic: ܡܝܟܐܝܠ (Mīkhāʼēl [miχaˈʔel]). The theophoric name is often read as a rhetorical question – "Who [is] like [the Hebrew God] El?",[1] whose answer is "there is none like El", or "there is none as famous and powerful as God." This question is known in Latin as Quis ut Deus? Paradoxically, the name is also sometimes interpreted as, "One who is like God."[2]

For a list of people with the given name, see List of people with given name Michael. For other uses, see Michael (disambiguation).

Michael
Archangel Michael
Pronunciation/ˈmaɪkəl/
German: [ˈmɪçaːʔeːl, -ʔɛl]
GenderMale
Origin
Word/nameHebrew: מִיכָאֵל / מיכאל‎ (Mikha'el)
Meaning"Who is like God?", "there is none like God", or "there is none as famous and powerful as God"[1]
Other names
Nickname(s)Mic, Mich, Micha, Mick, Mickey, Micki, Mickie, Mike, Mikey, Miki, Mikki, Mico, Miko, Mikha, Misha, Mischa, Mitch, Mitt, Micci
Related namesMachiel, Maicon or Maycon, Michaela, Michelangelo, Michal, Michał, Micheal, Mícheál, Michel, Michele, Michelle, Michiel, Miguel, Mihael, Miha, Mihai, Mihailo, Mykhailo, Mykhaylo , Mihajlo, Mihalis, Mikhalis, Mihály, Mihangel, Mihkel, Mihovil, Miika, Mikael, Mikail, Mikal, Mikel, Miķelis, Mikhail or Mihail (Михаил), Mihails, Maikls, Mikkel, Mikko, Mihály Mishael, Misho, Mitchell, Mykael, Michol, Michole

Although sometimes considered erroneous, an alternative spelling of the name is Micheal. While Michael is most often a masculine name, it is also given to women, such as the actresses Michael Michele and Michael Learned, and Michael Steele, the former bassist for the Bangles.

Patronymic surnames that come from Michael include Carmichael, DiMichele, MacMichael, McMichael, Michaels, Micallef, Michaelson, Michiels, Michalka, Michels, Mihály, Mikeladze, Mikhaylov, Mikkelsen, Mitchell, Michalski, Mykhaylenko and Mikaelyan.

Religion

Judaism

The name first appears in the Hebrew Bible in the Book of Numbers 13:13, where Sethur the son of Michael is one of 12 spies sent into the Land of Canaan.

Michael is the name of an archangel in the Book of Daniel 12:1.

Christianity

The archangel Michael is venerated in the Roman Catholic Church, the Oriental Orthodox Church, and the Eastern Orthodox Church. For the Roman Catholic Church, 29 September is the feast day of the three archangels: Michael, Gabriel and Raphael. For the Orthodox Church, 8 November is the feast day commemorating the archangels Michael and Gabriel, as well as the whole host of angels, while the Monday of each liturgical week likewise corresponds to the "Bodiless Powers." In the Coptic Orthodox Church, his main feast days are 12 Hathor and 12 Paoni, with lesser feast days on the 12th day of each month of the Coptic calendar.

Islam

According to Islam, Michael (Mika'el) is an archangel who brings down rain to the earth by the decree of Allah. He was created from light[3] and the one entrusted with the sustenance of creatures, and is also one of the most prominent angels. As the Angel of Mercy, he asks Allah to forgive people’s sins.[4]

Popularity

Michael (and its variants) is one of the most common given names for men in the world. In the United States, Michael was the most popular name of the 20th century, ranking No. 1 from 1954 to 1998 (with the exception of 1960, when it was second to David). It was among the top three most popular names for each year since 1953, only falling out of the top five in 2011 for the first time since 1949.[5]

In 2014, Michael was the 20th most popular name in Northern Ireland,[6] 27th in Canada[7] and 42nd in Australia.[8] In England and Wales, Michael ranked 53rd in 2011 and 2012.[9] Michael ranked as the eighth most popular name for boys in Ireland in 2013.[10]

According to the SSA, Michael is the most popular name among people in the United States who are currently alive, belonging to an estimated 3.83 million living people as of 2021. [11]

Variants of Michael rank among the most popular masculine names in multiple countries. It was the third most popular in Finland from 2010 – March 2015 (as Mikael),[12] seventh in Russia in 2009 (as Mikhail),[13] 14th in Spain in 2012 (as Miguel),[14] and 15th in Denmark (as Mikkel).[15]

People named Michael

See also

References
  1. Campbell, Michael Behind the Name: The Etymology and History of First Names
  2. Omnium Sanctorum Hiberniae, "Michael - one who is like unto God" (This interpretation would be seen as heretical in some religions, but it is fairly common nonetheless.)
  3. "Angels and their attributes". Arab News. 24 December 2015. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
  4. "Malaikah - Muslim beliefs - Edexcel - GCSE Religious Studies Revision - Edexcel". BBC Bitesize. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
  5. "Top 5 Names In Each Of The Last 100 Years". United States Social Security Administration. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
  6. "Top 100 Baby Names in Northern Ireland, 2014". Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
  7. "Top 100 Baby Names in Canada". Today's Parent. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
  8. "Baby Names Australia 2014" (PDF). McCrindle Market and Social Research. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 March 2015. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
  9. "Top 100 names for baby boys in England and Wales". United Kingdom National Statistics. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
  10. "Irish Babies' Names". Central Statistics Office of Ireland. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
  11. "Name Michael: Wolfram Alpha". Wolfram Alpha. 1 January 2021.
  12. "Most popular first names by decades". Population Register Centre of Finland. 10 March 2009. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
  13. Названа десятка самых популярных имен [Ten Most Popular Baby Names]. DNI (in Russian). 9 February 2009. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
  14. "Nombres más frecuentes (Hombres)". Instituto Nacional de Estadística. 1 January 2013. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
  15. "Sofia og William indtager igen førstepladsen" (PDF). Statistics Denmark. 11 July 2014. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
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