Male name
Michael
47,690 births (England and Wales, 1996–2025), peaking in 1996. Expression number: 33.
Origin
From Middle English Michael, from Old French Michel, Old English Michahel, from their source Latin Michaēl, Michāhēl, from Ancient Greek Μῐχᾱήλ (Mĭkhāḗl), from Biblical Hebrew מִיכָאֵל (mîḵāʾēl, literally “who is like God?”). Doublet of Miguel and Mikhail.From Wiktionary, entry “Michael”, text under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Do you know a Michael?
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How many babies received it
From the official birth registers.
In England and Wales
Peak in 1996: 4,187 births. 47,690 births from 1996 to 2025. A name given mostly in the 1990s and 2000s. At its peak, it ranked 22nd among boys' names in 1996. It is still given: 3,225 births from 2021 to 2025.
Source: Office for National Statistics, Baby names in England and Wales, Open Government Licence v3.0.
In the United States
Peak in 1957: 93,036 births. 4,448,633 births from 1880 to 2025. A name given steadily, decade after decade, from the 1940s to the 1990s. At its peak, it ranked 1st among boys' names in 1954. It is still given: 42,893 births from 2021 to 2025.
Source: Social Security Administration, Popular Baby Names, public domain.
In Ireland
Peak in 1964: 2,157 births. 55,538 births from 1964 to 2025. A name given mostly in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. At its peak, it ranked 2nd among boys' names in 1966. It is still given: 1,233 births from 2021 to 2025.
Source: Central Statistics Office, Irish Babies' Names, CC BY 4.0.
Elsewhere in the world
The name in the birth records of the 10 countries we track. The period covered varies from country to country.
| Country | Births | Period | Best rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| France | 90,590 | 1900–2025 | 19th in 1974 |
| Switzerland | 42,029* | 1915–2025 | — |
| Austria | 41,763 | 1984–2025 | 1st in 1984 |
| Quebec | 18,244 | 1980–2025 | 6th in 1987 |
| Argentina | 3,259 | 2012–2023 | — |
| Berlin | 1,379 | 2012–2023 | 34th in 2012 |
| Belgium | 118 | 2014–2023 | — |
* These are the people living in the country, counted by year of birth, not the number of births.
Source: INSEE, Fichier des prénoms, Etalab Open Licence 2.0; Federal Statistical Office, First names of the population by year of birth, free use with attribution; Statistik Austria, Vornamen, CC BY 4.0; Retraite Québec, Banque de prénoms, CC BY 4.0; RENAPER, Nombres propios en Argentina, CC BY 4.0 (the registry doesn't record sex); Open Data Berlin, Häufige Vornamen, CC BY 3.0 DE (every name a child carries, not only the first); Statbel, first names of newborns, CC BY 4.0 (one total for the whole period, no yearly breakdown).
The numbers of the name
Each letter has a value: A = 1, B = 2… I = 9, then J = 1 again (Pythagorean method). We add them up, then reduce to a single digit, except 11, 22 and 33.
■ vowel · ■ consonant
Expression
All the letters: talents, the way you act.
33
the guide, self-giving (master number)
4 + 9 + 3 + 8 + 1 + 5 + 3 = 33
Soul
The vowels: what drives you deep down.
6
responsibility, harmony, commitment to others
9 + 1 + 5 = 15 → 6
Personality
The consonants: what others notice first.
9
humanity, generosity, completion
4 + 3 + 8 + 3 = 18 → 9
- Digits missing from the name
- 2, 6, 7
- Most frequent digit
- 3 · expression, creativity, sociability
The meaning of the numbers comes from numerological tradition; it isn't a measure of your personality. A full portrait needs your first and middle names, your last name at birth, and your date of birth. How we calculate
Your name and theirs
The number of each name, and the number of the bond, which comes from adding them together. A symbolic game: what your two names say together, to be read as a metaphor, not as a verdict on your relationship.