Michel
- Gender
- Boy
- Origin
- French
- US rank, 2025
- #4,538 for boys
Michel is a boys' name of French origin, meaning “who is like God?”. In 2025 it ranked 4,538th for boys in the US (22 babies).
What does Michel mean?
French
“who is like God?”
A male given name from French, equivalent to English Michael.
From Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Is Michel a girl's or a boy's name?
Michel is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 9 girls and 22 boys in the US.
How popular is Michel in the UK?
No boys in the UK were given it in 2025, or too few to be listed. Its busiest year was 2007, with 9 boys.
Half of all the boys named Michel in the UK since 1996 were born between 2001 and 2012. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier boys aren't counted.
Michel in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 4 | #4,346 |
| 2023 | 0 | – |
| 2022 | 0 | – |
| 2021 | 0 | – |
| 2020 | 0 | – |
| 2019 | 3 | #4,913 |
| 2018 | 0 | – |
| 2017 | 4 | #4,161 |
| 2016 | 0 | – |
| 2015 | 0 | – |
| 2014 | 4 | #4,063 |
| 2013 | 3 | #4,884 |
| 2012 | 3 | #4,999 |
| 2011 | 0 | – |
| 2010 | 4 | #4,026 |
| 2009 | 1 | #6,016 |
| 2008 | 4 | #3,836 |
| 2007 | 9 | #2,139 |
| 2006 | 3 | #4,204 |
| 2005 | 5 | #2,885 |
| 2004 | 5 | #2,691 |
| 2003 | 5 | #2,574 |
| 2002 | 3 | #3,325 |
| 2001 | 4 | #2,714 |
| 2000 | 3 | #3,146 |
| 1999 | 3 | #3,043 |
| 1998 | 3 | #3,021 |
| 1997 | 4 | #2,438 |
| 1996 | 4 | #2,442 |
How popular is Michel in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- 4,538th among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 22 about 1 in 78,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steady up 1% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1% chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 22 boys in the US were named Michel, making it the 4,538th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 3,915th. Its busiest year was 1957, with 284 boys. 9 girls were also named Michel in 2025 (10,104th for girls).
2025 had fewer boys named Michel than any year since 2016.
Half of all the boys named Michel in the US since 1880 were born between 1954 and 1983, the years shaded on the chart below.
Girls were 13% of the babies named Michel in the US in 1939, and 29% in 2025.
Michel in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 22 | #4,538 |
| 2024 | 31 | #3,603 |
| 2023 | 27 | #3,999 |
| 2022 | 23 | #4,438 |
| 2021 | 25 | #4,114 |
| 2020 | 26 | #3,915 |
| 2019 | 26 | #4,000 |
| 2018 | 27 | #3,887 |
| 2017 | 30 | #3,582 |
| 2016 | 20 | #4,775 |
| 2015 | 41 | #2,863 |
| 2014 | 26 | #3,888 |
| 2013 | 36 | #3,058 |
| 2012 | 34 | #3,228 |
| 2011 | 48 | #2,546 |
| 2010 | 42 | #2,825 |
| 2009 | 55 | #2,347 |
| 2008 | 52 | #2,431 |
| 2007 | 55 | #2,337 |
| 2006 | 63 | #2,081 |
| 2005 | 57 | #2,125 |
| 2004 | 68 | #1,812 |
| 2003 | 63 | #1,867 |
| 2002 | 49 | #2,151 |
| 2001 | 60 | #1,837 |
| 2000 | 62 | #1,764 |
| 1999 | 69 | #1,577 |
| 1998 | 64 | #1,619 |
| 1997 | 84 | #1,330 |
| 1996 | 69 | #1,462 |
| 1995 | 65 | #1,472 |
| 1994 | 85 | #1,264 |
| 1993 | 77 | #1,290 |
| 1992 | 85 | #1,217 |
| 1991 | 92 | #1,141 |
| 1990 | 132 | #889 |
| 1989 | 128 | #888 |
| 1988 | 111 | #906 |
| 1987 | 120 | #851 |
| 1986 | 123 | #816 |
| 1985 | 103 | #891 |
| 1984 | 124 | #775 |
| 1983 | 121 | #795 |
| 1982 | 132 | #764 |
| 1981 | 103 | #875 |
| 1980 | 95 | #911 |
| 1979 | 130 | #762 |
| 1978 | 120 | #770 |
| 1977 | 142 | #714 |
| 1976 | 118 | #763 |
| 1975 | 142 | #698 |
| 1974 | 129 | #721 |
| 1973 | 139 | #676 |
| 1972 | 149 | #656 |
| 1971 | 165 | #641 |
| 1970 | 167 | #627 |
| 1969 | 161 | #615 |
| 1968 | 169 | #581 |
| 1967 | 169 | #581 |
| 1966 | 185 | #561 |
| 1965 | 200 | #540 |
| 1964 | 196 | #564 |
| 1963 | 231 | #524 |
| 1962 | 200 | #557 |
| 1961 | 254 | #499 |
| 1960 | 267 | #485 |
| 1959 | 228 | #520 |
| 1958 | 226 | #514 |
| 1957 | 284 | #456 |
| 1956 | 223 | #505 |
| 1955 | 239 | #473 |
| 1954 | 241 | #468 |
| 1953 | 243 | #457 |
| 1952 | 223 | #466 |
| 1951 | 209 | #469 |
| 1950 | 193 | #480 |
| 1949 | 167 | #516 |
| 1948 | 134 | #575 |
| 1947 | 144 | #564 |
| 1946 | 128 | #567 |
| 1945 | 76 | #699 |
| 1944 | 70 | #741 |
| 1943 | 77 | #736 |
| 1942 | 70 | #770 |
| 1941 | 46 | #938 |
| 1940 | 37 | #1,067 |
| 1939 | 34 | #1,103 |
| 1938 | 34 | #1,109 |
| 1937 | 23 | #1,403 |
| 1936 | 18 | #1,587 |
| 1935 | 25 | #1,354 |
| 1934 | 18 | #1,658 |
| 1933 | 27 | #1,281 |
| 1932 | 19 | #1,651 |
| 1931 | 24 | #1,427 |
| 1930 | 27 | #1,399 |
| 1929 | 28 | #1,339 |
| 1928 | 26 | #1,448 |
| 1927 | 31 | #1,322 |
| 1926 | 22 | #1,605 |
| 1925 | 31 | #1,304 |
| 1924 | 24 | #1,577 |
| 1923 | 29 | #1,358 |
| 1922 | 31 | #1,308 |
| 1921 | 31 | #1,329 |
| 1920 | 28 | #1,382 |
| 1919 | 29 | #1,321 |
| 1918 | 34 | #1,192 |
| 1917 | 18 | #1,754 |
| 1916 | 27 | #1,304 |
| 1915 | 24 | #1,372 |
| 1914 | 21 | #1,300 |
| 1913 | 17 | #1,256 |
| 1912 | 11 | #1,526 |
| 1911 | 0 | – |
| 1910 | 6 | #1,420 |
| 1909 | 0 | – |
| 1908 | 6 | #1,216 |
| 1907 | 8 | #998 |
| 1906 | 9 | #852 |
| 1905 | 0 | – |
| 1904 | 0 | – |
| 1903 | 7 | #910 |
| 1902 | 5 | #1,136 |
| 1901 | 5 | #1,057 |
| 1900 | 0 | – |
| 1899 | 10 | #661 |
| 1898 | 0 | – |
| 1897 | 0 | – |
| 1896 | 0 | – |
| 1895 | 0 | – |
| 1894 | 0 | – |
| 1893 | 0 | – |
| 1892 | 7 | #860 |
| 1891 | 0 | – |
| 1890 | 0 | – |
| 1889 | 5 | #973 |
| 1888 | 8 | #755 |
| 1887 | 0 | – |
| 1886 | 0 | – |
| 1885 | 0 | – |
| 1884 | 0 | – |
| 1883 | 5 | #891 |
| 1882 | 0 | – |
| 1881 | 0 | – |
| 1880 | 6 | #809 |
Names like Michel
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Daniel, Matthew, Patrick, Billy, David, Joel, Thomas, Adam, Jamie, Toby, Robert, William
Names related to Michel
Michael, Michal, Micheal, Mikhael, Michele, Michail, Mickael, Michelle, Michaela, Micaela
More French names
Eleanor, Beau, Esme, Darcie, Darcy, Genevieve, Amy, Esmae, Arleth, Elle, Russell, Monty, Mallory, Percy, Lacey, Belle
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, “Michel: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/michel, updated 20 October 2026.