UK boy's name
Michael
Of Hebrew origin, meaning "who is like God?".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Michael is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Michael popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #85, with 626 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1996, with 4,187 births.
This profile covers 47,075 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 15% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 73,207 living people in the UK are called Michael. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Michael ranked #85 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 626 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 1996, when 4,187 boys were registered as Michael.
- • Michael ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #66 in 2024.
- • About 73,207 living people in the UK are estimated to have Michael as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#85
2024
Births in 2024
626
Latest year
Peak year
1996
4,187 births
Estimated living
73,207
2026
Meaning
What does Michael mean?
The name Michael has its origins in the Hebrew name Mikhael, which means "Who is like God?" It is derived from the rhetorical question "Mi ka'El," with "Mi" meaning "Who" and "El" referring to God. The name dates back to ancient biblical times and appears in the Old Testament as the name of an archangel.
Michael is a prominent name in various Abrahamic religions, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In the Bible, Michael is depicted as the leader of the heavenly armies and plays a significant role in the Book of Revelation. The archangel Michael is also mentioned in the Quran, where he is revered as one of the most powerful angels.
The name Michael gained widespread popularity during the Middle Ages, particularly in Europe. It was a common name among royalty and nobility, and many historical figures bore this name. One of the earliest recorded examples is Michael III, who ruled as the Byzantine Emperor from 842 to 867 CE.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have carried the name Michael. In the 11th century, Michael I Cerularius was the Patriarch of Constantinople and played a pivotal role in the Great Schism between the Eastern and Western Christian churches. Michael Faraday (1791-1867) was a renowned English scientist whose groundbreaking work in electromagnetism laid the foundations for the modern understanding of electricity.
In the realm of literature, Michael Nyman (born 1944) is a celebrated English composer known for his minimalist style and film scores. Michael Crichton (1942-2008) was an American author famous for his science fiction novels, including "Jurassic Park" and "The Andromeda Strain."
Another famous Michael is Michael Jordan (born 1963), widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time. His remarkable career with the Chicago Bulls and his impact on the sport have made him an iconic figure in sports history.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Michael over time
The chart below shows babies named Michael registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Michael, the clearest high point is 1996. The latest England and Wales figure is 626 births in 2024, compared with 4,187 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Michael by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Michael was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #82 | 3,361 | 5 |
| 2010s | #59 | 11,217 | 10 |
| 2000s | #41 | 18,223 | 10 |
| 1990s | #24 | 14,274 | 4 |
Geography
Where Michael is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Michael. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Michael ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #66 in 2024.
Across the UK
Michael in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#66 in 2024
51 years of NRS records, 23,705 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#66 in 2024
28 years of NISRA records, 3,442 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Michael
-
Michael Sutton
cricketer
English cricketer (1921-2019)
1921-2019
Related
Names similar to Michael
- Matthew 80,931
- Mohammed 74,321
- Muhammad 72,235
- Max 59,807
- Mason 38,935
- Mohammad 25,910
- Morgan 15,994
- Muhammed 11,527
- Mark 11,336
- Marcus 11,257
- Maxwell 10,006
- Milo 9,555
FAQ
Michael: questions and answers
How popular is the name Michael in the UK right now?
In 2024, Michael was ranked #85 for boys in England and Wales, with 626 births registered.
When was Michael most popular?
The peak year on record was 1996, with 4,187 babies registered as Michael in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Michael?
Of Hebrew origin, meaning "who is like God?".
How many people are called Michael in the UK?
A total of 47,075 babies have been registered as Michael across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 23,705 more in Scotland and 3,442 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Michael most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Michael ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #66 in 2024. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.