Michel surname: U.S. census count, rank and records | FamilyCrests

The Michel surname

In the 2000 U.S. Census, 21,487 people carried this name — #1,539 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 12,500 people counted.

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In France’s civil register

France’s register of deaths holds 40,575 people named Michel.

1,030 of them were born outside France. Those born in France came from 107 départements, most often Paris.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Where they were born

Born outside France 1,030
Paris 2,802
Bouches-du-Rhône 2,019
Meurthe-et-Moselle 1,566
Vosges 1,302
Côtes-d’Armor 1,279
Saône-et-Loire 1,157
Gard 1,123
Moselle 1,096

Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.

In Switzerland’s population statistics

6,461 people named Michel live in Switzerland.

They live in all 26 of Switzerland’s cantons, most of all in Bern.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Where they live today

Bern 1,435
Zurich 801
Vaud 605
Aargau 525
Fribourg 510
Lucerne 291
Graubünden 233
Geneva 227

Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.

In Belgium’s population register

At least 4,826 people named Michel live in Belgium.

Statbel only publishes a name in a municipality when five or more people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Hainaut.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Where they live today

Hainaut 1,523
Liège 1,136
Namur 632
Luxembourg Province 493
Walloon Brabant 382
Brussels-Capital 379
Flemish Brabant 133
Antwerp 63

Statbel (Statistics Belgium), family names of the population by municipality, 1 January 2026 — CC BY 4.0.

In Poland’s population register

537 people named Michel have a registered home in Poland.

Of the 683 in Poland’s national register, these are the ones with a permanent address on file. They live in 15 of Poland’s 16 voivodeships, most of all in Silesian.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Where they live today

Silesian 96
Łódź 71
Lower Silesian 57
Lublin 55
Greater Poland 46
Pomeranian 44
West Pomeranian 36
Opole 30

PESEL register, Ministry of Digital Affairs of Poland (dane.gov.pl) — CC0 · living people by voivodeship of permanent residence, 20 January 2026.

In print

Michel in American newspapers,
1847–1921.

Newspaper page from Green-Mountain Freeman carrying the name Michel
Green-Mountain Freeman 1847-08-26
Newspaper page from Westliche BläTter carrying the name Michel
Westliche BläTter 1866-12-30
Newspaper page from Der Westbote carrying the name Michel
Der Westbote 1876-11-02

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 153,710 pages in all carry the name.

Who carried it

People named Michel,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Georges Michel
    Georges Michel 1763–1843 · painter
  • Francisque Xavier Michel
    Francisque Xavier Michel 1809–1887 · historian
  • Marc Michel
    Marc Michel 1812–1868 · actor
  • François Émile Michel
    François Émile Michel 1828–1909 · visual artist
  • Carl Michel
    Carl Michel 1843–1930 · actor

Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons (CC0) · 162 lives in all are documented under this name.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Michel 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.

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