UK boy's name

Mikhail

Of Russian 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.

Mikhail is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Mikhail popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1132, with 25 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2013, with 43 births.

This profile covers 636 England and Wales registrations across 28 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, 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 58% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 632 living people in the UK are called Mikhail. 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

• Mikhail ranked #1132 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 25 registrations.
• The name peaked in 2013, when 43 boys were registered as Mikhail.
• About 632 living people in the UK are estimated to have Mikhail as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#1132

2024

Births in 2024

Latest year

Peak year

2013

43 births

Estimated living

632

2026

Meaning

What does Mikhail mean?

The name Mikhail has its origins in the Hebrew language and can be traced back to ancient times. It is derived from the Hebrew name Mikhael, which means "who is like God?" or "one who is like God." The name is believed to be derived from the rhetorical question "Mi ka'El," meaning "Who is like God?"

The name Mikhail first appeared in the Bible, specifically in the Book of Daniel, where it refers to the archangel Michael, one of the principal angels in Jewish tradition and the leader of the heavenly host. The name was later adopted by various cultures and languages, with variations such as Michael, Michal, and Mikhayil.

In the Eastern Orthodox and Russian traditions, the name Mikhail has been popular for centuries. One of the earliest notable figures with this name was Prince Mikhail of Chernigov (1179-1246), a Rurikid prince who ruled the Principality of Chernigov during the 13th century.

Another significant figure in history with the name Mikhail was Mikhail Lomonosov (1711-1765), a Russian polymath who made significant contributions to various fields, including chemistry, physics, and literature. He is often referred to as the "Father of Russian Science."

In the realm of literature, Mikhail Lermontov (1814-1841) was a prominent Russian Romantic writer and poet, best known for his novel "A Hero of Our Time" and his poetry, which explored themes of nature, love, and the human condition.

The name Mikhail was also borne by several Russian rulers, including Mikhail I Romanov (1596-1645), the first Tsar of the Romanov dynasty, who ascended to the throne in 1613 after the Time of Troubles in Russia.

Another notable figure with the name Mikhail was Mikhail Gorbachev (born 1931), the last leader of the Soviet Union, who played a pivotal role in ending the Cold War and introducing significant reforms, such as perestroika and glasnost.

Throughout history, the name Mikhail has been associated with various influential figures from different cultural and historical contexts, reflecting its enduring popularity and significance across various regions and time periods.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Mikhail over time

The chart below shows babies named Mikhail 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 Mikhail, the clearest high point is 2013. The latest England and Wales figure is 25 births in 2024, compared with 43 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Mikhail

Decades

Mikhail by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Mikhail 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	#1054	137	5
2010s	#933	324	10
2000s	#1463	152	10
1990s	#1538	23	3

Notable bearers

Famous people named Mikhail

Mikhail Kennedy

association football player

British association football player (born 1996)

1996-
Mikhail Messerer

ballet dancer; ballet master

British ballet dancer

1948-
Mikhail Zacherevich

violinist

Russian born British violinist

1879-1953
Mikhail Soloviev

researcher; biochemist

researcher (ORCID 0000-0002-3235-1134)

Names similar to Mikhail

FAQ

Mikhail: questions and answers

How popular is the name Mikhail in the UK right now?

In 2024, Mikhail was ranked #1132 for boys in England and Wales, with 25 births registered.

When was Mikhail most popular?

The peak year on record was 2013, with 43 babies registered as Mikhail in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Mikhail?

Of Russian origin meaning "who is like God".

How many people are called Mikhail in the UK?

A total of 636 babies have been registered as Mikhail across the 28 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.

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.