Girl · #714 in 2026

Michaela

Michaela is a female given name. It is a female form of the Hebrew name Michael (מִיכָאֵל), which means "Who is like God".

  • German
  • Swedish
  • English
  • Czech
Current Rank
#714
Peak Rank
#100 (1997)
Total Babies
54K
5-Yr Trend
-19%
1921
First Year
2026
Last Year
1997
Peak Year
#100
Peak Rank
54K
Total Count
95
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Michaela

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Michaela is a female given name. It is a female form of the Hebrew name Michael (מִיכָאֵל), which means "Who is like God".

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

  • German
  • Swedish
  • English
  • Czech
  • Slovak
  • Greek
  • Hebrew

The Story of Michaela

The earliest SSA record of Michaela as a baby girl name dates back to 1921, when 5 babies received it. 1997 was its biggest year on record, with 3,398 newborns named Michaela — #100 in the national rankings. The 1990s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 43% of all recorded Michaelas. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #714 among baby girl names with 396 births, falling sharply (-19%). In total, more than 54K Michaelas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1920s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Variants & Related Forms of Michaela

Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Michaela. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Names that sound like Michaela

Phonetically similar names — useful when Michaela is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Michaela

What does the name Michaela mean?
Michaela is a female given name. It is a female form of the Hebrew name Michael (מִיכָאֵל), which means "Who is like God".
What is the origin of the name Michaela?
Michaela has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: German, Swedish, English, Czech, Slovak, Greek, Hebrew.
How popular is Michaela in 2026?
In 2026, Michaela ranks #714 among girls' names in the U.S., with 396 babies given the name that year.
When was Michaela most popular?
Michaela reached its peak popularity in 1997, ranking #100 that year with 3,398 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Michaela most popular?
Michaela has historically been most popular in Vermont, Nebraska, South Dakota. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Michaela.
Is Michaela a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Michaela is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Michaela?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Michaela include Matilda, Charlene, Traci. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.
What are nicknames or variants of Michaela?
Common variants and related forms of Michaela include Makayla, Mckayla, Mica, Michayla, Michi, Mickey. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms.

About the name Michaela

Michaela is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1921 and has accumulated 54K births in the dataset. Michaela's peak popularity came in 1997 when it ranked #100. Use the chart and map above to compare Michaela's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.