Michelle: Meaning, origin and popularity

Pronounced mih-SHEL · 2 syllables

Michelle means “who is like God?”, from Hebrew and French.

Borrowed from French Michelle, feminine form of French Michel (“Michael”), Hebrew (mikhael, “who is like God?”). Doublet of Michaela.

How popular is Michelle?

Michelle was the #465 name in the US in 2025, given to 661 babies. It’s used less than it was: down 59% on 2011–2015. It peaked around 1970.

Babies named Michelle in the US by five-year period, relative to its peak (around 1970).

Half of US adults named Michelle are older than 53; most are between 27 and 69. (Estimated from US births by year and life tables.)

Names that real brothers and sisters of people named Michelle have, from family records on Wikidata, most common first.

Chosen by the same families or with a similar style and era.

Michelle means “who is like God?”. It comes from Hebrew and French.

Michelle is pronounced mih-SHEL.

Michelle was the #465 name in the US in 2025, given to 661 babies. It’s used less than it was: down 59% on 2011–2015. It peaked around 1970.

Half of US adults named Michelle are older than 53. Most are between 27 and 69.