Michael
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- MY-kul
- Origin
- Hebrew
- UK rank, 2025
- #80 for boys
- US rank, 2025
- #21 for boys
Timeless
Michael is a boys' name of Hebrew origin, meaning “who is like God?”. In 2025 it ranked 80th for boys in the UK (736 babies) and 21st for boys in the US (8,094 babies).
What does Michael mean?
Hebrew
“who is like God?”
Michael is the archangel who leads heaven's armies against the dragon in the Book of Revelation.
More on Wiktionary.
Is Michael a girl's or a boy's name?
Michael is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 736 boys in the UK and 13 girls and 8,094 boys in the US.
How popular is Michael in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #80among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 736about 1 in 410 boys
- Five-year trend
- Fallingdown 26% in five years
- Same name in a class
- 3.4%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 736 boys in the UK were named Michael, making it the 80th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 70th. Its busiest year was 1996, with 4,741 boys.
Half of all the boys named Michael in the UK since 1996 were born between 1999 and 2012. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier boys aren't counted.
Among boys in 2025, it was 85th in England and Wales, 65th in Scotland and 38th in Northern Ireland.
In the England and Wales top 100 for boys, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 1904 (#46), 1914 (#39), 1924 (#40), 1934 (#7), 1944 (#3), 1954 (#4), 1964 (#6), 1974 (#9), 1984 (#5), 1994 (#12), 2004 (#39), 2014 (#52) and 2024 (#85).
Michael in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 736 | #80 |
| 2024 | 742 | #80 |
| 2023 | 706 | #83 |
| 2022 | 772 | #81 |
| 2021 | 886 | #74 |
| 2020 | 895 | #70 |
| 2019 | 997 | #68 |
| 2018 | 1,043 | #68 |
| 2017 | 1,130 | #62 |
| 2016 | 1,245 | #57 |
| 2015 | 1,413 | #46 |
| 2014 | 1,377 | #49 |
| 2013 | 1,468 | #50 |
| 2012 | 1,563 | #50 |
| 2011 | 1,652 | #49 |
| 2010 | 1,639 | #51 |
| 2009 | 1,721 | #52 |
| 2008 | 1,836 | #49 |
| 2007 | 1,946 | #41 |
| 2006 | 2,004 | #39 |
| 2005 | 1,967 | #39 |
| 2004 | 2,214 | #38 |
| 2003 | 2,451 | #34 |
| 2002 | 2,418 | #33 |
| 2001 | 2,732 | #31 |
| 2000 | 2,908 | #28 |
| 1999 | 3,484 | #25 |
| 1998 | 4,220 | #21 |
| 1997 | 4,524 | #22 |
| 1996 | 4,741 | #17 |
How popular is Michael in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #21among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 8,094about 1 in 210 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steadydown 23% in five years
- Same name in a class
- 6.4%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 8,094 boys in the US were named Michael, making it the 21st most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 12th. Its busiest year was 1957, with 92,781 boys. 13 girls were also named Michael in 2025 (7,883rd for girls).
It has been given to fewer boys each year for the last 36 years. 2025 had fewer boys named Michael than any year since 1937.
Half of all the boys named Michael in the US since 1880 were born between 1957 and 1986, the years shaded on the chart below.
Michael in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 8,094 | #21 |
| 2024 | 8,229 | #18 |
| 2023 | 8,430 | #16 |
| 2022 | 8,895 | #16 |
| 2021 | 9,150 | #17 |
| 2020 | 9,833 | #12 |
| 2019 | 10,619 | #14 |
| 2018 | 11,756 | #14 |
| 2017 | 12,726 | #12 |
| 2016 | 14,145 | #8 |
| 2015 | 14,504 | #9 |
| 2014 | 15,505 | #7 |
| 2013 | 15,544 | #7 |
| 2012 | 16,211 | #7 |
| 2011 | 16,823 | #6 |
| 2010 | 17,387 | #3 |
| 2009 | 18,964 | #3 |
| 2008 | 20,652 | #2 |
| 2007 | 22,027 | #2 |
| 2006 | 22,653 | #2 |
| 2005 | 23,828 | #2 |
| 2004 | 25,470 | #2 |
| 2003 | 27,129 | #2 |
| 2002 | 28,258 | #2 |
| 2001 | 29,689 | #2 |
| 2000 | 32,045 | #2 |
| 1999 | 33,915 | #2 |
| 1998 | 36,618 | #1 |
| 1997 | 37,562 | #1 |
| 1996 | 38,373 | #1 |
| 1995 | 41,409 | #1 |
| 1994 | 44,477 | #1 |
| 1993 | 49,571 | #1 |
| 1992 | 54,410 | #1 |
| 1991 | 60,810 | #1 |
| 1990 | 65,321 | #1 |
| 1989 | 65,415 | #1 |
| 1988 | 64,171 | #1 |
| 1987 | 63,664 | #1 |
| 1986 | 64,235 | #1 |
| 1985 | 64,934 | #1 |
| 1984 | 67,735 | #1 |
| 1983 | 68,004 | #1 |
| 1982 | 68,216 | #1 |
| 1981 | 68,750 | #1 |
| 1980 | 68,683 | #1 |
| 1979 | 67,713 | #1 |
| 1978 | 67,127 | #1 |
| 1977 | 67,587 | #1 |
| 1976 | 66,915 | #1 |
| 1975 | 68,418 | #1 |
| 1974 | 67,534 | #1 |
| 1973 | 67,797 | #1 |
| 1972 | 71,393 | #1 |
| 1971 | 77,577 | #1 |
| 1970 | 85,266 | #1 |
| 1969 | 85,162 | #1 |
| 1968 | 81,968 | #1 |
| 1967 | 82,411 | #1 |
| 1966 | 79,985 | #1 |
| 1965 | 80,992 | #1 |
| 1964 | 82,617 | #1 |
| 1963 | 83,771 | #1 |
| 1962 | 85,059 | #1 |
| 1961 | 86,974 | #1 |
| 1960 | 84,153 | #2 |
| 1959 | 85,294 | #1 |
| 1958 | 90,604 | #1 |
| 1957 | 92,781 | #1 |
| 1956 | 90,691 | #1 |
| 1955 | 88,355 | #1 |
| 1954 | 88,568 | #1 |
| 1953 | 84,198 | #3 |
| 1952 | 79,037 | #4 |
| 1951 | 72,807 | #4 |
| 1950 | 65,136 | #4 |
| 1949 | 60,047 | #5 |
| 1948 | 52,566 | #6 |
| 1947 | 50,506 | #7 |
| 1946 | 41,194 | #7 |
| 1945 | 29,902 | #9 |
| 1944 | 26,717 | #9 |
| 1943 | 24,745 | #10 |
| 1942 | 21,728 | #13 |
| 1941 | 15,935 | #16 |
| 1940 | 13,228 | #18 |
| 1939 | 10,828 | #18 |
| 1938 | 9,077 | #21 |
| 1937 | 7,094 | #27 |
| 1936 | 5,800 | #33 |
| 1935 | 4,906 | #41 |
| 1934 | 4,108 | #47 |
| 1933 | 3,549 | #53 |
| 1932 | 3,607 | #54 |
| 1931 | 3,489 | #55 |
| 1930 | 3,543 | #54 |
| 1929 | 3,464 | #54 |
| 1928 | 3,598 | #53 |
| 1927 | 3,605 | #52 |
| 1926 | 3,485 | #56 |
| 1925 | 3,761 | #55 |
| 1924 | 3,874 | #54 |
| 1923 | 3,915 | #50 |
| 1922 | 3,990 | #48 |
| 1921 | 4,198 | #47 |
| 1920 | 4,003 | #50 |
| 1919 | 3,909 | #46 |
| 1918 | 4,296 | #45 |
| 1917 | 4,288 | #44 |
| 1916 | 4,210 | #44 |
| 1915 | 4,079 | #43 |
| 1914 | 3,362 | #40 |
| 1913 | 2,607 | #40 |
| 1912 | 2,104 | #42 |
| 1911 | 1,159 | #38 |
| 1910 | 844 | #45 |
| 1909 | 635 | #47 |
| 1908 | 688 | #44 |
| 1907 | 586 | #48 |
| 1906 | 531 | #46 |
| 1905 | 513 | #45 |
| 1904 | 462 | #50 |
| 1903 | 466 | #47 |
| 1902 | 460 | #48 |
| 1901 | 384 | #52 |
| 1900 | 495 | #51 |
| 1899 | 375 | #51 |
| 1898 | 434 | #51 |
| 1897 | 368 | #57 |
| 1896 | 399 | #53 |
| 1895 | 413 | #52 |
| 1894 | 423 | #50 |
| 1893 | 407 | #49 |
| 1892 | 380 | #59 |
| 1891 | 333 | #54 |
| 1890 | 394 | #48 |
| 1889 | 377 | #51 |
| 1888 | 466 | #46 |
| 1887 | 344 | #48 |
| 1886 | 348 | #53 |
| 1885 | 370 | #46 |
| 1884 | 373 | #51 |
| 1883 | 307 | #55 |
| 1882 | 321 | #57 |
| 1881 | 298 | #54 |
| 1880 | 354 | #46 |
Nicknames for Michael
Names like Michael
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Daniel David Matthew Patrick Adam Nathan Joseph James Benjamin Thomas Joel Jamie
Other spellings of Michael
Micheal Mykel Maikol Maykel Maicol Maikel Maycol Mykell Maykol Mykal Mykael
Names related to Michael
More Hebrew names
Noah Isabella Elijah Jack Mia Ava Jude Ezra Isaac Jacob Ethan Samuel Elias Mateo Elsie Levi
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Michael: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/michael, updated 20 October 2026.