Declining since 1997, #1,034 for girls today.
Popularity of Mikaela since 1966
Babies named Mikaela per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1960s | 5 |
| 1970s | 172 |
| 1980s | 994 |
| 1990s | 6,905 |
| 2000s | 5,577 |
| 2010s | 5,070 |
| 2020s | 1,996 |
Meaning & origin
Mikaela entered the U.S. popularity charts in 1966 and saw its peak year in 1997, when it ranked highest. Since then, its use has steadily declined, falling to rank 1034 by 2025, with an estimated 1 in 6,669 newborns receiving the name that year. The name has been most concentrated in New Jersey, California, and Florida, reflecting broader regional trends for feminine variants of Michael. While the spelling Mikaela is less common than Mikayla or Makayla, it remains a recognizable choice, particularly among families with ties to the 1990s peak. Like other Michael derivatives, Mikaela carries a strongly religious etymological meaning but has become a secular, mainstream given name across diverse communities.
Mikaela is a feminine variant of Michael, derived from the Hebrew phrase 'mi kha'el' meaning 'who is like God?' This rhetorical question asserts that no one is like God. The name Michael appears in the Hebrew Bible as an archangel, and its feminine forms became widely used in English-speaking countries in the late 20th century. Mikaela gained popularity in the United States starting in the 1960s, peaking in the 1990s.
Where Mikaela is most popular
Births per 100,000 girls by state. Press play or drag the slider to watch it move across the decades. The lightest shade means too few recorded births.
“Mikaela” around the world
Where Mikaela lands in the latest official birth statistics abroad, matched to the U.S. spelling.
France
10
babies in 2024
Quebec
14
babies in 2025
Sources: INSEE (France) · Retraite Québec (Quebec).
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Mika, Mik, Kay, Ela
Sibling names for Mikaela
Names that share Mikaela's style, for a brother or sister.
Names like Mikaela
Names whose popularity has moved with Mikaela's over the last 50 years.
