Explore the Family Name Michael
The meaning of Michael
English, German, Dutch, Jewish, and Greek: from the personal name Michael, ultimately from Hebrew Mika’el ‘Who is like God?’. This was borne by an archangel in the Bible, the protector of Israel (Daniel 10:13, 12:1; Rev. 12:7). In Christian tradition, Michael was regarded as the warrior archangel, conqueror of Satan, and the personal name was correspondingly popular throughout Europe, especially in knightly and military families. In North America, the English form of the surname has absorbed many cognates from other languages, e.g. Hungarian Mihály (see Mihaly), Czech and Slovak Michal, Assyrian/Chaldean or Arabic Mikhael and Mikhail, and also patronymics and other derivatives from these names, e.g. Greek Papamichael, its cognate Papamichalis, and Michaelides, Serbian Mihajlović (see Mihajlovic), and Slovenian Mihelčič (see Mihelcic). Compare Mikeal.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Michael in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname "Michael" has slightly decreased over a decade. In 2000, it ranked as the 798th most popular name and dropped to the 847th position in 2010, marking a decline of 6.14%. However, despite the drop in rank, the overall count of individuals with this surname increased from 39,369 to 40,736 between 2000 and 2010, indicating a growth rate of 3.47%. This resulted in a slight decrease in the proportion of the surname per 100,000 people, moving from 14.59 in 2000 to 13.81 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #798 | #847 | -6.14% |
| Count | 39,369 | 40,736 | 3.47% |
| Proportion per 100k | 14.59 | 13.81 | -5.35% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Michael
Analyzing the ethnic identity associated with the surname "Michael", data from the Decennial U.S. Census shows shifts in proportions across different groups. The largest demographic, White, experienced a small decrease of 3.21%, moving from 86.36% in 2000 to 83.59% in 2010. The Black community saw an increase of 16.54%, rising from 7.62% to 8.88%. There was also significant growth in the Asian/Pacific Islander group, which jumped by 72.57% to represent 1.95% of all individuals with the surname "Michael". The count of Hispanic individuals also increased by 37.22%, going up to 3.06% in 2010. However, the representation of those identifying with two or more races and American Indian and Alaskan Native identity decreased by 4.15% and 8.22% respectively.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 86.36% | 83.59% | -3.21% |
| Black | 7.62% | 8.88% | 16.54% |
| Hispanic | 2.23% | 3.06% | 37.22% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 1.13% | 1.95% | 72.57% |
| Two or More Races | 1.93% | 1.85% | -4.15% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.73% | 0.67% | -8.22% |
Michael ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Michael is British & Irish, which comprises 40.6% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (27.3%) and Eastern European (5.0%). Additional ancestries include Italian, Scandinavian, Cypriot, Levantine, and Ashkenazi Jewish.
Ready to learn more about your ancestry? Get the most comprehensive ancestry breakdown on the market by taking our DNA test. Shop 23andMe
| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 40.6% |
| French & German | 27.3% |
| Eastern European | 5.0% |
| Other | 27.0% |
Possible origins of the surname Michael
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Michael have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 75.10% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 75.10% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 75.00% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 74.90% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 74.80% |
What Michael haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Michael is I-Z138, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup I-Z138 is descended from haplogroup I-M170. Other common haplogroups include I-PF4189 and R-U152, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Miller, Meyer, Fisher, Wagner, Schneider, Smith, Snyder, Roth, Klein, Cooper.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Michael surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins I-M170
Your paternal lineage may be linked to Alexander Hamilton
Early in the morning on July 11, 1804, Aaron Burr (then Vice President of the United States) and Alexander Hamilton (founder of the U.S. Treasury) dueled on the New Jersey side of the Hudson River. This marked the culmination of a bitter personal and political rivalry between the two men. Alexander Hamilton died as a result of the duel, but his intellectual legacy survives in the founding documents of the nation he helped build. A piece of his genetic legacy survives as well: in the 21st century, genealogists documented the paternal haplogroups of dozens of Hamilton's living descendants and concluded that the Founding Father's paternal haplogroup was a branch of I-DF29.
Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Michael have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Michael" Surname 40.0%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Michael" Surname 29.6%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Michael" Surname 23.8%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Michael" Surname 18.1%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Michael?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Michael are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition