Explore the Family Name Michel
The meaning of Michel
1. French, Walloon, German, Dutch, West Indian (mainly Haiti), Seychellois, and Mauritian: from the personal name Michel (see Michael). 2. Basque: Castilianized form of Mitxel, from the personal name Mitxel, an equivalent of Michael. 3. Polish: from a variant of the personal name Michał (see Michael). 4. Germanized form of Sorbian Michał, Czech and Slovak Michal ‘Michael’. 5. English and Scottish: variant of Mitchell. 6. American shortened form of Greek patronymics from the personal name Michael, e.g. Michelakis, Michelakakis, or Michelakos. History: This surname is listed in the (US) National Huguenot Society’s register of qualified Huguenot ancestors. Some characteristic forenames: French Pierre, Andre, Jacques, Micheline, Patrice, Dominique, Emile, Gisele, Laurent, Lucien, Philippe, Raymonde.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Michel in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Michel has increased in popularity from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, it was ranked as the 1,539th most common surname, but by 2010 it had risen to the 1,383rd position, a growth of approximately 10.14%. The number of people with this surname also saw a significant increase during this period. There were 21,487 individuals with this surname in 2000, which grew to 25,578 in 2010, indicating an increase of around 19.04%. Consequently, the proportion of people named Michel per 100,000 also rose from 7.97 to 8.67.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,539 | #1,383 | 10.14% |
| Count | 21,487 | 25,578 | 19.04% |
| Proportion per 100k | 7.97 | 8.67 | 8.78% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Michel
The Decennial U.S. Census data also provides insight into the ethnicity associated with the surname Michel. From 2000 to 2010, there was a notable increase in the number of individuals identifying as Black and Hispanic holding this surname, with increases of 39.09% and 11.52% respectively. Meanwhile, those identifying as White decreased by about 13.2%. Additionally, there was a slight increase in the Asian/Pacific Islander category by 25%. However, the number of people identifying as belonging to two or more races decreased by 41.15%, and people identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native decreased by 11.11%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 58.87% | 51.1% | -13.2% |
| Hispanic | 21.09% | 23.52% | 11.52% |
| Black | 16.32% | 22.7% | 39.09% |
| Two or More Races | 2.6% | 1.53% | -41.15% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.72% | 0.64% | -11.11% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.4% | 0.5% | 25% |
Michel 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 Michel is French & German, which comprises 29.5% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (26.0%) and Spanish & Portuguese (10.8%). Additional ancestries include Indigenous American, Eastern European, Ashkenazi Jewish, Italian, and Scandinavian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| French & German | 29.5% |
| British & Irish | 26.0% |
| Spanish & Portuguese | 10.8% |
| Other | 33.7% |
Possible origins of the surname Michel
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 Michel have recent ancestry locations in United Kingdom and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 49.30% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 49.00% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 49.00% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 48.60% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 48.60% |
What Michel 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 Michel is J-M92, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup J-M92 is descended from haplogroup J-M304. Other common haplogroups include R-P311 and R-U152, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Miller, Baker, Brown, Weber, Mason, Marshall, Wagner, Snyder, Becker, Muller.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Michel surname are: A2, H1, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins J-M304Your 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 Michel 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.
"Michel" Surname 44.0%
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.
"Michel" Surname 33.8%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Michel" Surname 19.7%
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.
"Michel" Surname 15.3%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Michel?
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 Michel are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition