Behind the Name
the etymology and history of first names
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View Name: Michael


MICHAEL
GENDER: Masculine
USAGE: English, German, Czech, Biblical, Biblical Latin
PRONOUNCED: MIE-kəl (English), MI-khah-el (German)   [key]
Meaning & History
From the Hebrew name מִיכָאֵל (Mikha'el) meaning "who is like God?". This is a rhetorical question, implying no person is like God. Saint Michael is one of the seven archangels in Hebrew tradition and the only one identified as an archangel in the Bible. In the Book of Revelation in the New Testament he is portrayed as the leader of heaven's armies, and thus is considered the patron saint of soldiers.

The popularity of the saint led to the name being used by nine Byzantine emperors, including Michael VIII Palaeologus who restored the empire in the 13th century. It has been common in Western Europe since the Middle Ages, and in England since the 12th century. It has been borne (in various spellings) by rulers of Russia (spelled Михаил), Romania (Mihai), Poland (Michał), and Portugal (Miguel). Other more modern bearers of this name include the British chemist/physicist Michael Faraday (1791-1867) and basketball player Michael Jordan (1963-).

Related Names
VARIANTS: Micheal (English), Michal (Czech)
DIMINUTIVES: Mick, Mickey, Micky, Mike (English), Michel, Michi (German)
FEMININE FORMS: Michaela, Makayla, Mckayla, Michayla, Mikayla, Mikhaila (English), Michaela (German), Michaela, Michala (Czech)
OTHER LANGUAGES: Mikel, Mitxel (Basque), Mikhael (Biblical Greek), Mikha'el (Biblical Hebrew), Mihail, Mikhail (Bulgarian), Miquel (Catalan), Myghal (Cornish), Mihael, Mihajlo, Mihovil, Miho, Mijo (Croatian), Maikel, Michaël, Michiel (Dutch), Miĥaelo, Mikelo, Miĉjo (Esperanto), Mihkel (Estonian), Mikael, Mika, Mikko, Miska (Finnish), Michel (French), Mikheil (Georgian), Mikhael (Greek), Mikala (Hawaiian), Mikha'el (Hebrew), Mihály, Misi, Miska (Hungarian), Mícheál (Irish), Michele (Italian), Mihails, Miķelis (Latvian), Mykolas (Lithuanian), Mihail (Macedonian), Mikaere (Maori), Michel (Medieval French), Michał (Polish), Miguel, Miguelito (Portuguese), Mihai, Mihail, Mihaita (Romanian), Mikhail, Misha (Russian), Mikael, Mikkel (Scandinavian), Mìcheal, Micheil (Scottish), Mihailo, Mihajlo (Serbian), Michal (Slovak), Mihael, Miha (Slovene), Miguel, Miguelito (Spanish), Mikhailo, Mykhailo, Mykhaylo (Ukrainian), Meical (Welsh)
Popularity
United States  ranked #3 
England/Wales  ranked #53 
Canada (BC)  ranked #31 
Australia (NSW)  ranked #38 
Austria  ranked #25 
France  ranked #452 
Ireland  ranked #12 
Netherlands  ranked #170 
Northern Ireland  ranked #21 
Norway  - 
Scotland  ranked #39 


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