# Michael (surname)

Source: https://namelineage.com/surname/michael/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. Counts from the US Census Bureau; origin and etymology from Wiktionary; bearers from Wikidata. Data updated 2026-11-11.

A surname transferred from the given name.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | not recorded |
| Type | patronymic, formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name |
| People in the US (2010 Census) | 40,736 |
| US rank (2010) | 847 of 162,253 |
| How often | about 1 in every 7,579 people |
| Change since 2000 | +3.5% (39,369 in 2000) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈmaɪkəl/, 2 syllables |
| Variant spellings | Michaell, Mykal |

## Etymology

From Middle English Michael, from Old French Michel, Old English Michahel, from their source Latin Michaēl, Michāhēl, from Ancient Greek Μῐχᾱήλ (Mĭkhāḗl), from Biblical Hebrew מִיכָאֵל (mîḵāʾēl, literally “who is like God?”). Doublet of Miguel and Mikhail.

## Who carries it

Share of people named Michael in the 2010 US Census by the Census's own race and ethnicity groups. The Census suppresses a share when the count behind it is small.

| Group | Share |
|---|---|
| White (not Hispanic) | 84% |
| Black (not Hispanic) | 8.9% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 3.1% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 1.9% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.7% |
| Two or more races | 1.9% |

## Where

Wikidata records people named Michael in the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Nigeria.

## People named Michael

- Blake Michael, American actor
- Sam Michael, Australian Formula One designer
- Gertrude Michael, American actress (1911-1964)
- James Michael, American record producer and musician
- Gregory Michael, American actor (1981-)
- Arthur Michael, American chemist (1853–1942)
- Ralph Michael, British actor (1907-1994)
- Jaden Michael, American actor (2003-)
- Helen Abbott Michael, American chemist (1857-1904)
- Christine Michael, American football player, running back
- Peter Godly Michael, association football player
- Masked Wolf, Australian rapper (born 1991)

## Similar surnames

Mitchell, Michel, McHale, Mitchel, Michell, Michelle, Miceli, Mickle, Mikel, Mickel, Mikhail, Mickley.

## How to read these numbers

A Census count is people alive and counted in 2010, not births, and names occurring fewer than 100 times are not published at all. Ethnicity shares are the Census's own categories.