Girl · #422 in 2026

Michelle

Michelle is a given name, originally a variant of Michèle, the French feminine form of Michel, derived from the Hebrew name Michael meaning "Who is like God?". The usual Latin feminine form of the name was Michaela, with Michael the vernacular form for both men and women. The name was given in reference to the archangel Michael, a saint of the Roman Catholic Church.

  • French
  • English
  • Dutch
Current Rank
#422
Peak Rank
#2 (1969)
Total Babies
817K
5-Yr Trend
-31%
1915
First Year
2026
Last Year
1969
Peak Year
#2
Peak Rank
817K
Total Count
109
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Michelle

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

Michelle is a given name, originally a variant of Michèle, the French feminine form of Michel, derived from the Hebrew name Michael meaning "Who is like God?". The usual Latin feminine form of the name was Michaela, with Michael the vernacular form for both men and women. The name was given in reference to the archangel Michael, a saint of the Roman Catholic Church.

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

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

  • French
  • English
  • Dutch

The Story of Michelle

American parents first put Michelle on the record books as a baby girl name in 1915, with 5 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1969, when 34,319 Michelles were born — ranking #2 that year. About 30% of every Michelle on record arrived during the 1970s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Michelle ranks #422 for baby girls with 731 births, falling sharply (-31%). All told, over 817K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1910s to 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 Michelle

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

Names that sound like Michelle

Phonetically similar names — useful when Michelle 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 Michelle

What does the name Michelle mean?
Michelle is a given name, originally a variant of Michèle, the French feminine form of Michel, derived from the Hebrew name Michael meaning "Who is like God?". The usual Latin feminine form of the name was Michaela, with Michael the vernacular form for both men and women. The name was given in reference to the archangel Michael, a saint of the Roman Catholic Church.
What is the origin of the name Michelle?
Michelle has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: French, English, Dutch.
How popular is Michelle in 2026?
In 2026, Michelle ranks #422 among girls' names in the U.S., with 731 babies given the name that year.
When was Michelle most popular?
Michelle reached its peak popularity in 1969, ranking #2 that year with 34,319 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Michelle most popular?
Michelle has historically been most popular in Alaska, Arizona, Colorado. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Michelle.
Is Michelle a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Michelle is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Michelle?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Michelle include Anna, Helen, Susan. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.
What are nicknames or variants of Michelle?
Common variants and related forms of Michelle include Chelle, Michèle, Michele, Micheline, Michelyne, Shell. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms.

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About the name Michelle

Michelle is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1915 and has accumulated 817K births in the dataset. Michelle's peak popularity came in 1969 when it ranked #2. Use the chart and map above to compare Michelle'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.