There’s no name more versatile than Michael. The name, variations, and nicknames for Michael appear in every continent, all over pop culture, and throughout history and religious texts.
If you want to name your little guy Michael, you’d be in good company as it was the most popular name in the US from the fifties to the late nineties, and now being a slightly more rare name.
This list of nicknames for Michael, both common and from around the world will surely give you some inspiration!
What does the name Michael mean
The name Michael means the rhetorical question “Who is like God” from Hebrew origins. This name is borne by an important Angel in all Abrahamic religious texts such as the Old Testament, the New Testament, and the Quran.
Michael – as Mika’el – is one of the Archangels in the Hebrew tradition, and a power angel who controls rain and other natural forces in the Islamic tradition – as Mika’il. Michael is also important in Christianity as an Archangel who protected Israel in the Old Testament, and who led the army against Satan in the New Testament. For practicing Christians, Michael is considered the patron saint for soldiers.
Common Nicknames for Michael
- Mick
- Mickey
- Micky
- Mike
- Mikey
Names Like Michael From Other Countries
| Mika’il | Arabic |
| Mikayel | Armenian |
| Mikel, Mitxel | Basque |
| Mikhail, Mihail | Russian, Belarussian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Romanian |
| Mikha’el, Mikhael | Hebrew |
| Michahel | Latin |
| Miguel | Spanish, Catalan, Portuguese |
| Myghal | Cornish |
| Mihael, Mihovil | Croatian |
| Michal, Michael | Czech |
| Mikkel, Mikael | Danish, Norwegian |
| Maikel, Michiel | Dutch |
| Mihkel | Estonian |
| Mikael | Finnish, Swedish |
| Michel | French |
| Michael | English, German |
| Michail, Michalis, Mihail, Mihalis | Greek |
| Mikala | Hawaiian |
| Michele | Italian |
| Mykolas | Lithuanian |
| Mikiel | Maltese |
| Mikaere | Maori |
| Micheil | Gaelic |
| Mykhaylo | Ukrainian |
| Mikail | Turkish |
| Meical | Welsh |
Nicknames for Michael From Other Countries
| Mincho, Minko, Misho | Bulgarian |
| Miho | Croatian |
| Micha, Mick, Mischa | Dutch |
| Mika, Mikko, Misko | Finnish |
| Micha, Mischa, Michi | German |
| Miguelito | Spanish, Portuguese |
| Misha, Mishka | Russian |
Fun facts about Michael
- The Michael name day or feast day is September 29th
- Misha – one of Russian nicknames for Michael – is what you would call a Teddy bear in Russia
- If you were to survey 100,000 Americans, 14 would have the last name Michael
Famous people named Michael
From kings to olympic medalists, to prime ministers, to popes, it’s too great a task to gather all the famous people named Michael. However, here are some of the most recognizable names:
Michael Jordan, MVP basketball player for the Chicago Bulls
Michael Jackson, King of Pop
Michael Faraday, English physicist whose work contributed to understanding of Electricity
Mick Jagger, lead singer of Rolling Stones
Mike Myers, famous Canadian comedy actor
Michael J. Fox, famous actor
Michael Douglas, famous actor
See also: Michelle: Nicknames, Middle Names and Classic Variations
