Michael

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Michael is a given name that comes from the Hebrew: מִיכָאֵל / מיכאל‎ (Mikha'el), meaning "Who is like God?"^[1] In English, it is sometimes shortened to Mike, Mikey, or, especially in Ireland, Mick.

Michael is one of the Archangels.

Female forms of Michael include Michele, Michelle, Michaela, Mechelle, Micheline, and Michaelle, although there are women with the name Michael, such as Michael Learned. Another form is Mychal, which can either be a male or female name. Surnames that come from Michael include Carmichael, Dimichele, MacMichael, McMichael, Micallef, Michaelson, Mikhaylov and Mitchell.

Origins

The name first appears in the Bible, Numbers 13:13, where Sethur the son of Michael is one of twelve spies sent into the Land of Canaan. The Archangel Michael, referred to later in the Bible (Daniel 12:1), is considered a saint by the Roman Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodox Church. 29 September is the feast day of the three archangels, Michael, Gabriel and Raphael.

Popularity

Michael is a popular name in the United States, and has been the first or second most popular name given to male babies in the U.S. for each year since 1954.^[2] It is in the top 50 most popular boys' names in England and Wales.^[3] The name has been popular in Orthodox Christian countries, and was borne by several rulers of the Byzantine and Russian Empires. In recent years, Michael has been the most popular name in the Philippines,^[4] the second most popular name in Finland (Mikael)^[5] and ranks among the top ten names in Denmark (Mikkel)^[5] and Ireland.^[6] It is the 23rd most popular name in Canada,^[7] and the 37th most popular in Mexico (in the form of 'Miguel').^[8]

Short form and other versions

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"Mike", "Mick", "Mikiel", "Mikey", "Mikael", "Mic", "Mishka" (common in Russia) and "Mickey" are short forms of, or nick-names for, Michael as a given name. "Mick" is commonly associated with Irish people.

Meik and Maik are German short forms of Michael. The German pronunciation of both variants is identical to the English pronunciation of "Mike", since both are directly derived from their English counterparts. Similarly, the Welsh versions "Meical" and "Meic" are pronounced in the same way as their corresponding English analogues. Michiel (mee-KHEEL) is Dutch and the Dutch given name "Chiel" is a variation of Michiel. Mikael, Mikell, Mikkel are Scandinavian.^[9] In Swedish, "Micke" is a nick-name for "Mikael" (also spelt "Michael").

In Greek "Μιχάλης" ("Michalis" or "Mihalis") is an everyday common form of the "Μιχαήλ" ("Michail" or "Mihail"). In Russian, "Миша" ("Mischa" or "Misha") is a shortened form of "Михаил" (Mikhail). "Мишка" (Mishka) is a common diminutive form, "Миха" (Mikha) is an informal shortened form, and "Михайлович" (Mikhaylovich) is a patronymic form that can be shortened to more informal "Михалыч" (Mikhalych). Michal is Czech and Slovak. Michał is Polish; Miko is Slavic.^[9] Mëhill or Mhill is the Albanian for Michael. The first belongs to the southern (Tosk) dialect, the second to the northern (Gheg) dialect. In Hebrew, "מיכה" (Mikha) is a common shortened form of "מיכאל" (Mikha'el). In Arabic," میکائیل"‎ (Mikā'īl).

Miquel (or Quelo in its shortened version) is the Catalan form for Michael.

Miguel is a Spanish and Portuguese form; Michel is French and popular in the Netherlands.^[9] In French, both forms are popular: Michel and Mickaël.

Rulers named "Michael"

Byzantine emperors

• Michael I Rangabe (unknown-844), married the daughter of Emperor Nikephoros I
• Michael II (770–829), also called "the Stammerer"
• Michael III (840–867), also called "the Drunkard", youngest child of Emperor Theophilos
• Michael IV the Paphlagonian (1010–1041), came from a peasant family
• Michael V (1015–1042), nephew of Michael IV
• Michael VI Stratiotikos (unknown–1059), chosen by the empress Theodora as her successor
• Michael VII Doukas (c1050–1078), eldest son of Constantine X Doukas
• Michael VIII Palaiologos (1223–1282), founder of the Palaeologan dynasty
• Michael IX Palaiologos (1277–1320), eldest son of Andronikos II Palaiologos

Abkhazian rulers

• Mikhail, Prince of Abkhazia (died 1866)

Russian rulers

• Mikhail of Vladimir (unknown–1176), eldest son of Yuri Dolgoruky by his second marriage
• Mikhail Yaroslavich (1271-1318), second son of Yaroslav III
• Michael I of Russia (1596-1645), first Russian Tsar of the house of Romanov
• Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich of Russia (1917), the younger brother of Tsar Nicholas II

King of Poland

• Michał Korybut Wiśniowiecki (1640–1673), King of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth

King & Princes of Portugal

• Miguel da Paz, Prince of Asturias (1498–1500), son of King Manuel I of Portugal
• Miguel de Bragança (1699-1724), illegitimate son of King Pedro II of Portugal, drowned
• Miguel of Portugal (1802-1866), forced to abdicate in 1834
• Miguel, Duke of Braganza (1853-1927), claimant to the throne in exile
• Prince Miguel, Duke of Viseu (1878-1923), eldest son of Miguel, Duke of Braganza

Rulers of Romania

• Michael the Brave (1558-1601), Prince of Wallachia, Transylvania, and Moldavia
• Michael of Romania (1921- ), forced to abdicate by the communists in 1947

Tsar of Bulgaria

• Boris I of Bulgaria (unknown-907), sometimes known as Boris-Mihail
• Michael Asen I of Bulgaria (1238/1241-1256), son of Ivan Asen II of Bulgaria
• Michael Asen II of Bulgaria (1270-after 1302), only known son of Constantine Tikh of Bulgaria
• Michael Shishman of Bulgaria (after 1280–1330), also known as Michael Asen III

British Royal Family

• Prince Michael of Kent (1942- ), cousin of Queen Elizabeth II

See also

• List of most popular given names
• Theophory in the Bible

References

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