Michael

#7,885 for girls in 2025, 13 births · #21 for boys in 2025, 8,094 births
Given to boys 99.5% of the time

Showing
Show data for
Peak · boys
1957 · 92,781 births
Debut · boys
354 births
In top 100 · boys
146 yrs
of 146 years
Total births · boys
4,426,753
since 1880

Michael over time

boys

Rank among boys' names. Click any year to open it.

#1#10#100rank188019001920194019601980200020201938peak #1, 1957boys
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.

Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.

Show data table
Yeargirlsboys
rankbirthsrankbirths
2025#7,88513#218,094
2024#6,93216#188,229
2023#5,96020#168,430
2022#6,22919#168,895
2021#4,83327#179,150
2020#5,16824#129,833
2019#4,26033#1410,619
2018#6,01020#1411,756
2017#4,22034#1212,726
2016#4,25034#814,145
2015#4,06936#914,504
2014#4,17835#715,505
2013#3,84939#715,544
2012#5,11427#716,211
2011#4,07236#616,823
2010#4,02337#317,387
2009#3,56145#318,964
2008#3,08455#220,652
2007#3,24752#222,027
2006#2,75764#222,653
2005#2,73161#223,828
2004#1,404148#225,470
2003#1,92594#227,129
2002#1,86695#228,258
2001#1,83396#229,689
2000#1,558114#232,045
1999#1,422123#233,915
1998#1,359128#136,618
1997#1,249142#137,562
1996#1,155157#138,373
1995#1,067167#141,409
1994#965192#144,477
1993#870223#149,571
1992#789258#154,410
1991#769267#160,810
1990#747277#165,321
1989#594363#165,415
1988#472480#164,171
1987#410544#163,664
1986#392590#164,235
1985#419531#164,934
1984#419508#167,735
1983#385577#168,004
1982#403576#168,216
1981#439487#168,750
1980#409546#168,683
1979#393554#167,713
1978#384545#167,127
1977#378560#167,587
1976#398515#166,915
1975#373557#168,418
1974#392525#167,534
1973#431451#167,797
1972#431452#171,393
1971#448459#177,577
1970#461457#185,266
1969#449459#185,162
1968#440471#181,968
1967#494373#182,411
1966#509346#179,985
1965#504355#180,992
1964#565303#182,617
1963#501376#183,771
1962#519356#185,059
1961#546324#186,974
1960#547316#284,153
1959#587285#185,294
1958#572295#190,604
1957#611255#192,781
1956#620238#190,691
1955#577250#188,355
1954#616217#188,568
1953#581232#384,198
1952#644190#479,037
1951#668172#472,807
1950#640179#465,136
1949#602188#560,047
1948#637170#652,566
1947#635173#750,506
1946#611169#741,194
1945#583158#929,902
1944#562168#926,717
1943#550188#1024,745
1942#593156#1321,728
1941#71397#1615,935
1940#79080#1813,228
1939#76381#1810,828
1938#93158#219,077
1937#1,03547#277,094
1936#1,11540#335,800
1935#1,26432#414,906
1934#1,69720#474,108
1933#1,44226#533,549
1932#1,75420#543,607
1931#1,54924#553,489
1930#1,25136#543,543
1929#1,30633#543,464
1928#1,33833#533,598
1927#1,52329#523,605
1926#1,41432#563,485
1925#1,37634#553,761
1924#1,35436#543,874
1923#1,52029#503,915
1922#1,46431#483,990
1921#1,76524#474,198
1920#1,81622#504,003
1919#1,64924#463,909
1918#1,41130#454,296
1917#2,55212#444,288
1916#1,86718#444,210
1915#2,14314#434,079
1914#1,66516#403,362
1913#1,76612#402,607
1912#2,1448#422,104
1911#1,9567#381,159
1910#1,6349#45844
1909#1,7637#47635
1908—#44688
1907—#48586
1906#1,9515#46531
1905—#45513
1904—#50462
1903—#47466
1902—#48460
1901—#52384
1900—#51495
1899—#51375
1898—#51434
1897#1,2637#57368
1896—#53399
1895—#52413
1894—#50423
1893—#49407
1892—#59380
1891—#54333
1890—#48394
1889—#51377
1888—#46466
1887—#48344
1886—#53348
1885—#46370
1884—#51373
1883—#55307
1882—#57321
1881—#54298
1880—#46354
First appearance
1880

In the first year the SSA published name data, Michael was already there! It came in at #46, and was given to 354 baby boys.


Quietest stretch: 1880–1887, when fewer than 380 boys a year got the name.

Where Michael is popular in 1938

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 boys named Michael, so not publishedAKMaine: #29 for boys · 52 births · 1 in 120 boysMEVermont: #22 for boys · 27 births · 1 in 92 boysVTNew Hampshire: #40 for boys · 18 births · 1 in 172 boysNHWashington: #12 for boys · 209 births · 1 in 56 boysWAIdaho: #24 for boys · 38 births · 1 in 120 boysIDMontana: #24 for boys · 37 births · 1 in 118 boysMTNorth Dakota: #44 for boys · 30 births · 1 in 176 boysNDMinnesota: #20 for boys · 243 births · 1 in 92 boysMNIllinois: #18 for boys · 676 births · 1 in 84 boysILWisconsin: #20 for boys · 249 births · 1 in 100 boysWIMichigan: #19 for boys · 508 births · 1 in 87 boysMINew York: #12 for boys · 1,850 births · 1 in 48 boysNYMassachusetts: #22 for boys · 286 births · 1 in 101 boysMARhode Island: #26 for boys · 46 births · 1 in 97 boysRIOregon: #16 for boys · 90 births · 1 in 78 boysORNevada: #13 for boys · 12 births · 1 in 48 boysNVWyoming: #32 for boys · 14 births · 1 in 130 boysWYSouth Dakota: #67 for boys · 18 births · 1 in 271 boysSDIowa: #26 for boys · 163 births · 1 in 123 boysIAIndiana: #19 for boys · 260 births · 1 in 104 boysINOhio: #25 for boys · 459 births · 1 in 115 boysOHPennsylvania: #18 for boys · 837 births · 1 in 91 boysPANew Jersey: #15 for boys · 444 births · 1 in 57 boysNJConnecticut: #14 for boys · 209 births · 1 in 50 boysCTCalifornia: #12 for boys · 701 births · 1 in 67 boysCAUtah: #22 for boys · 51 births · 1 in 103 boysUTColorado: #25 for boys · 85 births · 1 in 110 boysCONebraska: #36 for boys · 59 births · 1 in 169 boysNEMissouri: #33 for boys · 178 births · 1 in 156 boysMOKentucky: #80 for boys · 67 births · 1 in 417 boysKYWest Virginia: #43 for boys · 84 births · 1 in 228 boysWVVirginia: #109 for boys · 40 births · 1 in 582 boysVAMaryland: #19 for boys · 116 births · 1 in 107 boysMDDelaware: #19 for boys · 18 births · 1 in 93 boysDEArizona: #50 for boys · 26 births · 1 in 188 boysAZNew Mexico: #97 for boys · 15 births · 1 in 378 boysNMKansas: #36 for boys · 74 births · 1 in 179 boysKSArkansas: #129 for boys · 26 births · 1 in 700 boysARTennessee: #120 for boys · 40 births · 1 in 670 boysTNNorth Carolina: #99 for boys · 67 births · 1 in 533 boysNCSouth Carolina: #126 for boys · 26 births · 1 in 746 boysSCDistrict of Columbia: #13 for boys · 90 births · 1 in 59 boysDCOklahoma: #63 for boys · 74 births · 1 in 285 boysOKLouisiana: #76 for boys · 70 births · 1 in 306 boysLAMississippi: #226 for boys · 13 births · 1 in 1,650 boysMSAlabama: #126 for boys · 37 births · 1 in 743 boysALGeorgia: #92 for boys · 65 births · 1 in 455 boysGAHawaii: #30 for boys · 31 births · 1 in 106 boysHITexas: #74 for boys · 162 births · 1 in 365 boysTXFlorida: #37 for boys · 83 births · 1 in 167 boysFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · boys
  1. New York#12 · 1 in 48
  2. Washington#12 · 1 in 56
  3. California#12 · 1 in 67
  4. Nevada#13 · 1 in 48
  5. District of Columbia#13 · 1 in 59

Best ever in a state: #1 in Hawaii, 1948.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
California#127011 in 67
New York#121,8501 in 48
Washington#122091 in 56
District of Columbia#13901 in 59
Nevada#13121 in 48
Connecticut#142091 in 50
New Jersey#154441 in 57
Oregon#16901 in 78
Illinois#186761 in 84
Pennsylvania#188371 in 91
Delaware#19181 in 93
Indiana#192601 in 104
Maryland#191161 in 107
Michigan#195081 in 87
Minnesota#202431 in 92
Wisconsin#202491 in 100
Massachusetts#222861 in 101
Utah#22511 in 103
Vermont#22271 in 92
Idaho#24381 in 120
Montana#24371 in 118
Colorado#25851 in 110
Ohio#254591 in 115
Iowa#261631 in 123
Rhode Island#26461 in 97
Maine#29521 in 120
Hawaii#30311 in 106
Wyoming#32141 in 130
Missouri#331781 in 156
Kansas#36741 in 179
Nebraska#36591 in 169
Florida#37831 in 167
New Hampshire#40181 in 172
West Virginia#43841 in 228
North Dakota#44301 in 176
Arizona#50261 in 188
Oklahoma#63741 in 285
South Dakota#67181 in 271
Texas#741621 in 365
Louisiana#76701 in 306
Kentucky#80671 in 417
Georgia#92651 in 455
New Mexico#97151 in 378
North Carolina#99671 in 533
Virginia#109401 in 582
Tennessee#120401 in 670
Alabama#126371 in 743
South Carolina#126261 in 746
Arkansas#129261 in 700
Mississippi#226131 in 1,650
Alaska———

Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the boys born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.

See more about Michael
Momentum · boys
Falling
  • 3 spots since 2024 (#18 → #21)
  • 9 spots since 2020 (#12 → #21)
  • 12 spots since 2015 (#9 → #21)
  • Biggest jump: 10 spots in 1893 (#59 → #49)
  • Biggest drop: 8 spots in 1881 (#46 → #54)
Rise & fade · boys
77 yrs to peak
  • Debuted 1880
  • Peaked 1957 at #1 (92,781 births)
  • Births halved by 1994, 37 yrs later
Top of the charts · boys
Top 10 for 74 yrs
  • Top 10: 74 yrs · run 1943–2016
  • Top 100: 146 yrs · run 1880–2025
  • Top 1,000: 146 yrs · run 1880–2025
Share of babies · boys
1 in 21
  • Highest: 1 in 21 boys born in 1969 were named Michael (4.8%)
  • Latest: 1 in 211 boys born in 2025 (0.47%)
  • Its best rank, #1 in 1957, was only 1 in 23 (4.3%) — a smaller share of a much bigger birth year
Era · boys
The 1950s
  • 18.9% of all boys named Michael (837,471) were born in this decade
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1880s3,558#46 (1888)#51
1890s3,926#48 (1890)#52
1900s5,220#44 (1908)#48
1910s30,858#38 (1911)#43
1920s37,893#47 (1921)#52
1930s56,001#18 (1939)#40
1940s336,568#5 (1949)#10
1950s837,471#1 (1957)#2
1960s833,092#1 (1961)#1
1970s707,327#1 (1970)#1
1980s663,807#1 (1981)#1
1990s462,466#1 (1990)#1
2000s250,715#2 (2000)#2
2010s145,220#3 (2010)#9
2020s52,631#12 (2020)#17

All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 boys in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.

Michael in 1938

girls
#931
58 births · 1 in 19,025 girls
boys
#21
9,077 births · 1 in 122 boys

Top girls' names in 1938

  1. #1Mary56,225
  2. #2Barbara39,277
  3. #3Patricia27,560
  4. #4Betty25,506
  5. #5Shirley23,766
  6. #6Carol19,421
  7. #7Nancy18,951
  8. #8Dorothy16,358
  9. #9Margaret15,330
  10. #10Joan14,303
  11. #931Michael58

Top boys' names in 1938

  1. #1Robert62,271
  2. #2James59,102
  3. #3John50,517
  4. #4William42,433
  5. #5Richard34,385
  6. #6Charles31,151
  7. #7Donald26,677
  8. #8David22,994
  9. #9Thomas21,381
  10. #10Ronald20,295
  11. #21Michael9,077
More about 1938

girls

1,103,456 girls got a published name in 1938; 1 in 19,025 of them was named Michael, which outranked 81.4% of the 4,995 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 23.3% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Michael
  1. #923Raquel59
  2. #923Rosario59
  3. #923Serena59
  4. #931Michael58
  5. #931Corene58
  6. #931Eleanora58
  7. #931Eloisa58
  8. #944Audry57
  9. #944Edward57
  10. #944Katy57

Tied with 12 names at #931; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1937
Risers
  1. ↑ 2,209Danielle#2,940 → #731
  2. ↑ 833Lorelei#1,451 → #618
  3. ↑ 623Helaine#1,493 → #870
  4. ↑ 399Janine#1,330 → #931
  5. ↑ 392Imelda#1,282 → #890
Fallers
  1. ↓ 1,261Noreta#964 → #2,225
  2. ↓ 513Norita#532 → #1,045
  3. ↓ 432Noretta#856 → #1,288
  4. ↓ 366Ferne#950 → #1,316
  5. ↓ 327Verdell#904 → #1,231

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

boys

1,109,147 boys got a published name in 1938; 1 in 122 of them was named Michael, which outranked 99.5% of the 4,035 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 33.5% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Michael
  1. #18Frank10,260
  2. #19Gerald9,972
  3. #20Raymond9,725
  4. #21Michael9,077
  5. #22Gary8,861
  6. #23Harold8,563
  7. #24Billy8,253
Biggest movers since 1937
Risers
  1. ↑ 1,314Dion#2,197 → #883
  2. ↑ 448Tex#1,212 → #764
  3. ↑ 425Lonny#1,233 → #808
  4. ↑ 401Gonzalo#1,180 → #779
  5. ↑ 383Lance#722 → #339
Fallers
  1. ↓ 741Worth#1,000 → #1,741
  2. ↓ 528Estel#869 → #1,397
  3. ↓ 492Milburn#845 → #1,337
  4. ↓ 412Lonzo#835 → #1,247
  5. ↓ 405Joy#932 → #1,337

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

See the top 100 for 1938 →