Mikhayla

Meaning & origin

Mikhayla is a modern respelling of Michaela that emerged in the early 1990s, first recorded in 1993. It reached its peak popularity in 1997 but has since declined, with its trajectory falling since that year. By 2025, the name ranked 14,942, with only about 1 in 321,453 baby girls receiving it. The spelling likely reflects a desire for a distinct phonetic rendering, with 'kh' representing the Hebrew sound and 'y' substituting for 'i'. As a variant of Michaela, it shares the meaning 'who is like God?' and fits within a broader trend of creative name spellings in the late 20th century. While never among the top names, it saw modest use during the 1990s and has since become rare.

Mikhayla is a modern respelling of Michaela, the feminine form of Michael. Michael derives from the Hebrew name Mikha'el, meaning 'who is like God?' This spelling variation, using 'kh' for the velar fricative sound and 'y' instead of 'i', became popular in the United States in the 1990s, likely influenced by creative name trends and phonetic spellings.