# Michel (surname)

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

A surname from French.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | French |
| Type | not recorded |
| People in the US (2010 Census) | 25,578 |
| US rank (2010) | 1,383 of 162,253 |
| How often | about 1 in every 12,071 people |
| Change since 2000 | +19% (21,487 in 2000) |
| Pronunciation | /mɪˈʃɛl/, 2 syllables |
| Variant spellings | none recorded |

## Etymology

Either a reborrowing of French Michel or a continuation (with pronunciation influenced by Modern French) of Middle English Michel, both from Old French Michel, from Latin Michāēl, borrowed from Koine Greek Μῐχᾱήλ (Mĭkhāḗl), from Biblical Hebrew מִיכָאֵל (mîḵāʾēl, literally “who is like God?”). Doublet of Michael, Miguel, and Mikhail.

## Who carries it

Share of people named Michel 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) | 51% |
| Black (not Hispanic) | 23% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 24% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.5% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.6% |
| Two or more races | 1.5% |

## Where

Wikidata records people named Michel in Belgium, the United States, Seychelles, the United Kingdom and Haiti.

## People named Michel

- Charles Michel, Belgian politician, former Prime Minister of Belgium, President of the European Council (b
- James Michel, 3rd President of Seychelles
- Louis Michel, Belgian politician
- Curt Michel, American astronaut
- Robert H. Michel, American politician (1923–2017)
- Claire Michel, Belgian triathlete
- Joseph Michel, Belgian writer and politician of the Parti Social Chrétien (PSC (1925-2016)
- Ciara Michel, British/American volleyball player
- Benji Michel, American soccer player
- Anne Michel, Belgian athletics competitor

## Similar surnames

Mitchell, Michael, McHale, Mitchel, Michell, Michelle, Maciel, Miguel, Mizell, Miceli, Mickle, Mikell.

## 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.