Michael
Pronounced M AY1 K AH0 L (ARPABET)
- 2 syllables
- Peaked 1957
- 145 years in use
- Biblical
- 2 spellings
How popular is Michael?
Michael is a boys' name, and has been in the record since the data starts in 1880. It has been given to 4,603,566 children — the 4th most common boys' name on record.
It has been slipping, down 44% on the previous decade. Its best single year was 1957, when 97,631 children were given it.
Two other spellings are counted in that total — Micheal and Michaell — because they are pronounced identically.
Spelling variants
These spellings sound identical to Michael and are counted together with it, which is why the totals here are higher than a single-spelling count.
- Micheal
- Michaell
Nicknames
Common short forms: Mike.
Characteristics
- Biblical (God)
- 2 syllables
Phonetic detail
- Pronunciations:
- M AY1 K AH0 L · M IH1 K HH AA1 EH1 L
- Stress pattern:
- 10 · 111
- Syllables:
- 2
Stress digits mark unstressed (0), primary (1) and secondary (2) syllables.
Names like Michael
Same first letter and syllable count, peaking around the same time.
Sibling names for Michael
Names from the same era with a matching rhythm but a different initial.
Frequently asked questions
- How popular is the name Michael?
- Michael ranks 4th among boys' names in US records, with 4,603,566 births since 1880. Over the past decade it accounts for 110,527.
- Is Michael a unisex name?
- No. Michael is recorded almost entirely as a boys' name; births to the other gender are too few to register as a share.
- When was Michael most popular?
- 1957, when 97,631 children were given the name. It has been in use for 145 years and is still recorded as of 2024.
- What are common nicknames for Michael?
- Mike. These are recorded as separate names in their own right, so each has its own page and its own popularity curve.
- How else is Michael spelled?
- Micheal, Michaell. All of these sound the same and are counted together in the totals on this page.