Declining since 1985, #4,539 for boys today.
Popularity of Michel since 1880
Babies named Michel per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls | Boys |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 0 | 24 |
| 1890s | 0 | 17 |
| 1900s | 0 | 40 |
| 1910s | 0 | 187 |
| 1920s | 0 | 281 |
| 1930s | 5 | 249 |
| 1940s | 187 | 949 |
| 1950s | 354 | 2,309 |
| 1960s | 680 | 2,032 |
| 1970s | 641 | 1,401 |
| 1980s | 469 | 1,160 |
| 1990s | 461 | 822 |
| 2000s | 586 | 584 |
| 2010s | 116 | 330 |
| 2020s | 56 | 154 |
Meaning & origin
Michel, the French form of Michael, has a long and distinguished history in France and other French-speaking regions. Meaning 'who is like God?', the name has been borne by many notable figures across centuries, though it has never been extremely common in the United States. Its peak popularity came in 1957, ranking as the 4539th most popular name that year. In 2025, roughly 1 in 77,640 babies received this name, reflecting a steady decline in usage since around 1985. While Michael remains a top name in English-speaking countries, Michel retains a distinctly French elegance. It has been used for both sexes but remains predominantly masculine, with Michèle or Michelle as common feminine counterparts.
Michel is the French form of Michael, ultimately from Hebrew Mikha'el meaning 'who is like God?' The name has been used in France since the Middle Ages and is closely associated with the Archangel Michael. Historically, it was given to both boys and occasional girls in French-speaking regions, though most common for males.
Where Michel is most popular
Births per 100,000 boys by state. Press play or drag the slider to watch it move across the decades. The lightest shade means too few recorded births.
“Michel” around the world
Where Michel lands in the latest official birth statistics abroad, matched to the U.S. spelling.
France
60
babies in 2024
Quebec
6
babies in 2025
Sources: INSEE (France) · Retraite Québec (Quebec).
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Miche, Michou, Mika, Mitch
Sibling names for Michel
Names that share Michel's style, for a brother or sister.
