The Michael surname
In the 2010 U.S. Census, 40,736 people carried this name — #847 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 7,240 people counted. That is up 3% from 39,369 in 2000.
What the name means
The meaning of the Michael surname
A surname transferred from the given name.
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?”).
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Michael» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.
In Switzerland’s population statistics
690 people named Michael live in Switzerland.
They live in 21 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Zurich.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they live today
Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss/en/dataset/nachnamen-der-standigen-wohnbevolkerung-nach-kanton3 · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.
In Poland’s population register
116 people named Michael have a registered home in Poland.
Of the 292 in Poland’s national register, these are the ones with a permanent address on file. They live in 10 of Poland’s 16 voivodeships, most of all in Masovian.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
PESEL register, Ministry of Digital Affairs of Poland (dane.gov.pl) — CC0 · living people by voivodeship of permanent residence, 20 January 2026.
In France’s civil register
France’s register of deaths holds 73 people named Michael.
33 of them were born outside France. Those born in France came from 14 départements, most often Bas-Rhin.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they were born
Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.
In Argentina’s national register
At least 70 people named Michael live in Argentina.
RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Buenos Aires Province.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.
In the Nordic population registers
770 people named Michael are counted in Sweden, Norway and Finland.
Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published. Norway publishes only surnames with 200 or more bearers. Finland counts its citizens, at home or abroad.
Counted, by country
Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown) · Statistics Norway (SSB, ssb.no), table 12891, 2025 — CC BY 4.0 · Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV), Finland, surname statistics, August 2026 — CC BY 4.0.
In print
Michael in American newspapers,
1909–1926.
Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 1,656,029 pages in all carry the name.
Who carried it
People named Michael,
with a public archive behind them.
-
Michael Freedie 12– · digital marketer -
Stavros Michael 1952– · banker
-
Rubi Michael 1991– · cooking
Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons (CC0).
Nearby in the index
Surnames next to Michael.
- Mical 343 · U.S. census
- Micallef 881 · U.S. census
- Micciche 842 · U.S. census
- Miccoli 141 · U.S. census
- Miceli 4,708 · U.S. census
- Mich 436 · U.S. census
- Michaeli 165 · U.S. census
- Michaelis 3,222 · U.S. census
- Michal 865 · U.S. census
- Michalak 3,983 · U.S. census
- Michalek 1,991 · U.S. census
- Michalik 1,687 · U.S. census
When the index is not enough
This page says where Michael is.
A volume says what happened to it.
Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.