He’s an archangel and a reliable boys’ name, the number one choice from the 1950s through the 1990s.
Our Baby Name of the Day is Michael.
You’d have to call Michael a classic, and yet he’s not quite in the same class as James or William, at least not in English. He’s ranked in the US Top 100 every year since the rankings started in 1880. Boys and men called Mike and Mikey and Michael, too, are incredibly common – from Mike Brady to Michael Jordan to the guys called Mike that I know you must know.
Despite his frequency of use, he’s never been much of a royal name in English. Russian rulers have answered to Mikhail. Byzantine emperors and kings of Bulgaria and Portugal have worn forms of Michael, too.
He’s a major figure in the Old and New Testaments. The name comes from the Hebrew Mikha’el – who is like God? That’s more than a meaning, though. In Latin, it translates to Quis ut Deus? St. Michael the Archangel is often depicted in soldier’s garb, armed, defeating Satan. Quis es Deus? often appears in associated artwork, a reminder that no one is equal to the Almighty.
It’s easy to see how Michael became a go-to name for families of faith:
- Michael features in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. He’s also significant in Christian religions that don’t venerate saints – like Seventh-day Adventists and Latter Day Saints.
- He’s the patron saint of soldiers, the leader of the good guys in the Book of Revelation.
- Early days, he was associated with healing, and he remain a patron saint of the ill.
- Stories about the angel sometimes have him saving souls in their final moments, and even conducting the dead to heaven.
The nineteenth century was kind to Michael:
- William Wordsworth penned a poem about an aging shepherd by the name, and his son, Luke, in 1800. It’s been one of Wordsworth’s most popular.
- “Michael, Row the Boat Ashore” was first written down in the 1800s, a spiritual sung by slaves. Later became associated with Civil Rights movement.
- Pope Leo XIII added a prayer to Saint Michael the Archangel to the mass in 1886. Some parishes still say it.
In the early days of silent film, when Germany was a powerhouse, a 1924 movie based on a 1902 novel told the story of a romance between the model Michael and the artist who paints him, Claude. It’s a heart-breaking story, and an influential work, too.
He has a reputation as an Irish favorite, but his use isn’t exclusive to any single group.
Famous men named Michael are too many to count:
- Actors, like Landon , Douglas, J. Fox, and C. Hall
- Athletes, like Jordan, Tyson, Phelps, and Vick
- Musicians, from Jackson, the late King of Pop, to Green Day’s bassist Mike Dirnt – oh, and Mick Jagger was also born Michael
- Fictional characters range from youngest of the Darling children in Peter Pan to The Brady Bunch’s patriarch, to everyone’s favorite boss in The Office
- Designer Michael Kors
- Political figures, including New York’s Mayor Bloomberg
- PC magnate Michael Dell
We all wanted to be like Mike. Before that, Life used the tagline “Mikey likes it!” to sell cereal.
Today Michael stands at #8. He’s fallen a ways, but remains very common.
If you’re after a reliable, conservative name for a child, Michael makes for a solid choice.
In National Velvet, Mi’s full name is Michael. I think it’s a cool nickname for Michael. It almost makes me like it enough to use it.
I’ve been delighted to meet two little babies called Michael this year. To me, it’s one of those names that’s both strong and gentle. I’m not too keen on the nickname Mike, though.
I love the name Michael and always have despite popularity. Surprisingly, I don’t have any Michaels in my fam, except for my darling 2 year old that we exclusively call Mick.
I remember reading somewhere that Michael is the most common male name among African Americans.
Hubby’s Bio-dad was a Michael and I was pregnant when he passed away, so we got an incredible amount of pressure to name the baby Michael. I simply adore the nickname Mick… so I considered it, but honestly I felt he has enough namesakes (BIL and nephew both have the middle name Michael & step-kid’s middle name is Michaela.)
I have 41 first cousins, so it’s no surprise that I have two cousins named Michael (plus at least 3 second cousins with the name.) If memory serves me right, they were all born in the early to mid 70’s and all but one goes exclusively by Mike.
I’ve always loved the name Michael despite it’s popularity. I know so many though, including my brother, my uncle, and my husband’s uncle, which is why I’ll never use it (or maybe I will to honor 3 people at once!). None of them seem to care if their called Mike or Michael, and my brother was Mikey as a child, which I think is cute. I know/know of Michael’s of all ages including one under 1.
I have trouble seeing Michael as an 80’s name because it’s been around for so long and I probably know fewer Michaels’ my own age than from the surrounding decades. Names that seem more 80s to me are Justin, Eric, Jason, Ryan, and Kevin.
Can’t use it, it’s my dad’s name and my culture doesn’t name after the living. (And I’m not knocking him off to get the name!)
I like it though. But Micah and Malachi are probably more stylish. Or at least I think of them as more stylish, I don’t think either of those is sitting pretty at #8! Not that I can remember meeting a single little tiny new Michael, despite the number of baby Henrys, Williams, and tons and tons of little boys named Jack? Is Jack the new Mike?
As far as traditional nicks for Michael go I prefer Mick to Mike.
Jack might be the new Mike, Josie! And I think you’re right about Micah and Malachi feeling more stylish these days, even if the numbers don’t reflect that. I don’t know any new baby Michaels, either … the youngest Michael I know is probably 40(ish). Though I do know a lot of 40(ish) Mikes and Michaels …
Colleen, I think that happened for lots of names in the 80s and 90s, and continues into today. Elizabeth, Isabella, Charles, Daniel, Matthew – there was definitely a trend to use full names, and it continues. It would be tough to track the influence of Jordan/Jackson in this regard, but it may well have been a factor.
I think Jordan and Jackson really boosted their surnames, too. I know at least one Jordan named after Michael.
An enduring and lovely name, there are so many positives about Michael. I know of a young child who is a Michael but answers to Mike. I loved hearing it because all of the Michaels in my generation use the full name only. There’s something retro cool about bringing back Mike as a nickname.
I’ve considered Michael as a future boy’s name, but there are too many already in my family plus a few Michelles. It’s still on the table as a middle name but not high on the list sadly.
I thought of another question. Do you think it was because of Michael Jordan or Michael Jackson or something else that made all of the Michaels growing up in the 1980s and 90s to go only by Michael?
Thats my husbands name although he doesn’t go by it. Michael is one of those rare names that never sounds dated. I like it and I don’t usually like overly common names.