ninan.org

Michael

Boys' name · Mid-century perennial

Living in the US
~3,663,100 survival-weighted estimate
2025 rank
#21 among boys
Births in 2025
8,107 4,448,633 since 1880
Typical age
50 years, median

Michael popularity over time

Michael rank by birth year, 1880–2025Michael ranked #46 in 1880 and #21 in 2025. Its best rank in the period was #1, in 1954.#1#10#21best #1 in 195418901920195019802010
Rank among US baby names by birth year, 1880–2025. Lower is more popular; the scale is logarithmic so the top of the chart is not compressed.

Michael was used most in 1957, when 93,036 babies were given the name. The name is already in use in 1880, where the data begins. Michael has spent 146 years inside the national top 100.

The 2025 position is #21, on 8,107 births. Over ten years the count has fallen 44%.

Babies named Michael per yearPeaks at 93,036 births in 1957.93,036 in 1957018901920195019802010
Recorded US births by year. The peak is labelled; the axis starts at zero.

How many people are named Michael?

Roughly 3,663,100 Michaels are alive in the US right now. SSA has recorded 4,448,633 births under the name since 1880.

This is a survival-weighted estimate, not a headcount: every recorded birth year is multiplied by the chance someone born that year is still alive, using the SSA period life table. How the estimate works.

How old is the average Michael?

Half of living Michaels are older than 50, half younger. The 1960s produced the largest surviving cohort. By the site’s era rules that makes Michael a mid-century perennial name.

Your Michael

Ages of living people named MichaelHalf of living Michaels are older than 50 and half younger.median 50020406080100
Estimated living bearers by age today. Each bar is a birth year, weighted by the chance someone born then is still alive.

Where Michael is most common

Relative to births, Rhode Island carries 2.3× the national share of Michaels. Delaware, Alaska and Connecticut follow.

Where Michael is used more than average5 states use the name Michael more than the national average.Alaska: 2.1× the national rateAKMaine: not over-representedMEVermont: not over-representedVTNew Hampshire: not over-representedNHWashington: not over-representedWAIdaho: not over-representedIDMontana: not over-representedMTNorth Dakota: not over-representedNDMinnesota: not over-representedMNIllinois: not over-representedILWisconsin: not over-representedWIMichigan: not over-representedMINew York: not over-representedNYOregon: not over-representedORNevada: not over-representedNVWyoming: not over-representedWYSouth Dakota: not over-representedSDIowa: not over-representedIAIndiana: not over-representedINOhio: not over-representedOHPennsylvania: not over-representedPANew Jersey: not over-representedNJConnecticut: 1.9× the national rateCTRhode Island: 2.3× the national rateRICalifornia: not over-representedCAUtah: not over-representedUTColorado: not over-representedCONebraska: not over-representedNEMissouri: not over-representedMOKentucky: not over-representedKYWest Virginia: not over-representedWVVirginia: not over-representedVAMaryland: not over-representedMDDelaware: 2.2× the national rateDEMassachusetts: not over-representedMAArizona: not over-representedAZNew Mexico: not over-representedNMKansas: not over-representedKSArkansas: not over-representedARTennessee: not over-representedTNNorth Carolina: not over-representedNCSouth Carolina: not over-representedSCDistrict of Columbia: 1.8× the national rateDCOklahoma: not over-representedOKLouisiana: not over-representedLAMississippi: not over-representedMSAlabama: not over-representedALGeorgia: not over-representedGAHawaii: not over-representedHITexas: not over-representedTXFlorida: not over-representedFL
Same as national3× or more
Location quotient, 2016–2025. Shaded states use the name more than the country does, relative to their own births. Exact figures are in the table below.
States where Michael is over-represented, 2016–2025. The location quotient compares the state's share of the name with the national share.
StateBirthsvs national rate
Rhode Island 418 2.3×
Delaware 366 2.2×
Alaska 283 2.1×
Connecticut 1,439 1.9×
District of Columbia 342 1.8×

Michael in England and Wales

In England and Wales, Michael ranked #85 in 2025 on 615 births.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Counts below three are suppressed by ONS.

Where the name Michael comes from

From Middle English Michael, from Old French Michel, Old English Michahel, from their source Latin Michaēl,Michāhēl, from Ancient Greek Μῐχᾱήλ, from Biblical Hebrew מִיכָאֵל. Doublet of Miguel, Mikhail.

Etymology summarised from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0. Wiktionary entry.

Notable people named Michael

Ordered by how many Wikipedia language editions have an article about them — a measure of reach, not of importance.
NameKnown forYearsEditions
Michael Jackson American singer, songwriter, record producer, and dancer 1958–2009 322
Michael Faraday British scientist 1791–1867 179
Michael Schumacher German racing driver 1969 171
Michael Jordan American basketball player and businessman 1963 138
Michael Caine English actor 1933 109
Michael Phelps American swimmer 1985 107
Michael Douglas American actor, producer and activist 1944 99
Michael Clarke Duncan American actor 1957–2012 91
Photo credits (7)

The sharpest rise. Births under this name jumped from 1,166 in 1911 to 2,112 in 1912 — 1.8 times over in a single year.

Birth records contain the rise and nothing about its cause. This site does not supply one.

People and dates from Wikidata (CC0), limited to those with an English Wikipedia article who are known by this name as their first name.

Related pages

Get this data

Every number on this page is available as JSON: /api/name/michael.json. Free to use with attribution (CC BY 4.0).