Michelle

#465 for girls in 2025, 661 births · Last seen for boys in 2011 at #7,502
Given to girls 99.6% of the time

Showing
Show data for
Peak · girls
1969 · 34,319 births
Debut · girls
5 births
In top 100 · girls
54 yrs
of 146 years
Total births · girls
816,510
since 1915

Michelle over time

girls

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

#1#10#100#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201972peak #2, 1969girls
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#465661—
2024#409775—
2023#401766—
2022#377827—
2021#394799—
2020#336923—
2019#2921,144—
2018#2631,249—
2017#2151,429—
2016#2091,562—
2015#1921,706—
2014#1881,751—
2013#1681,892—
2012#1621,935—
2011#1442,180#7,50210
2010#1252,510#8,1399
2009#1043,078#10,9946
2008#1013,343#7,18711
2007#943,596#8,9158
2006#814,090#6,90411
2005#744,312#6,63411
2004#664,720#5,00716
2003#624,873#5,03515
2002#584,950#4,50217
2001#595,033#4,12119
2000#525,545#3,42324
1999#565,303#4,53715
1998#555,562#4,01917
1997#555,695#3,45520
1996#476,598#2,48331
1995#417,392#2,25335
1994#338,639#2,25935
1993#3110,193#1,74149
1992#2511,512#1,88443
1991#2212,213#1,57354
1990#2213,425#1,51656
1989#2213,376#1,10292
1988#2113,339#1,32960
1987#2113,034#1,11474
1986#2313,303#1,02881
1985#2213,973#1,12568
1984#1715,499#1,00079
1983#1316,838#97282
1982#1117,765#1,01380
1981#1117,781#91496
1980#1019,119#894100
1979#1019,266#1,02375
1978#918,856#94584
1977#719,540#93782
1976#619,550#91183
1975#622,665#780113
1974#325,826#771109
1973#326,935#745116
1972#229,285#688135
1971#233,160#676150
1970#434,047#734125
1969#234,319#673138
1968#233,223#660130
1967#330,827#705110
1966#427,159#75793
1965#1816,215#1,01253
1964#2316,180#1,17243
1963#2614,383#1,15145
1962#3113,353#1,34134
1961#3412,741#1,23341
1960#399,893#1,48629
1959#478,776#1,97417
1958#567,458#1,76620
1957#795,982#2,01916
1956#885,327#2,09115
1955#974,526#2,30212
1954#944,432#2,44911
1953#1073,631#2,7099
1952#1242,881#3,0957
1951#1512,133#2,49510
1950#1741,633—
1949#2131,248#3,2986
1948#2301,044#3,6685
1947#248914#3,7335
1946#263755#3,5255
1945#307499—
1944#341405—
1943#373370—
1942#482233—
1941#612133—
1940#72692—
1939#91859—
1938#95555—
1937#1,19636—
1936#1,34529—
1935#1,41827—
1934#1,51824—
1933#1,36428—
1932#2,83110—
1931#2,42712—
1930#2,42513—
1929#2,19115—
1928#2,95410—
1927#2,69912—
1926#2,87211—
1925#2,48914—
1924#2,97311—
1923#4,3766—
1922#3,3799—
1921——
1920#3,3409—
1919#3,8177—
1918#4,8095—
1917——
1916——
1915#4,2745—
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First appearance
1915

The first year at least five girls were named Michelle! It came in at #4,274, and was given to 5 baby girls.


Quietest stretch: 1915–1918, when fewer than 6 girls a year got the name.

Where Michelle is popular in 1972

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: #2 for girls · 65 births · 1 in 32 girlsAKMaine: #2 for girls · 203 births · 1 in 32 girlsMEVermont: #8 for girls · 57 births · 1 in 44 girlsVTNew Hampshire: #3 for girls · 112 births · 1 in 40 girlsNHWashington: #2 for girls · 451 births · 1 in 43 girlsWAIdaho: #4 for girls · 115 births · 1 in 41 girlsIDMontana: #3 for girls · 95 births · 1 in 41 girlsMTNorth Dakota: #3 for girls · 122 births · 1 in 32 girlsNDMinnesota: #3 for girls · 650 births · 1 in 37 girlsMNIllinois: #2 for girls · 1,736 births · 1 in 43 girlsILWisconsin: #3 for girls · 777 births · 1 in 35 girlsWIMichigan: #2 for girls · 1,643 births · 1 in 38 girlsMINew York: #3 for girls · 2,109 births · 1 in 53 girlsNYMassachusetts: #2 for girls · 900 births · 1 in 38 girlsMARhode Island: #2 for girls · 190 births · 1 in 27 girlsRIOregon: #2 for girls · 328 births · 1 in 39 girlsORNevada: #2 for girls · 89 births · 1 in 31 girlsNVWyoming: #3 for girls · 51 births · 1 in 34 girlsWYSouth Dakota: #3 for girls · 119 births · 1 in 32 girlsSDIowa: #3 for girls · 492 births · 1 in 35 girlsIAIndiana: #4 for girls · 903 births · 1 in 41 girlsINOhio: #2 for girls · 2,013 births · 1 in 37 girlsOHPennsylvania: #2 for girls · 1,654 births · 1 in 44 girlsPANew Jersey: #3 for girls · 772 births · 1 in 53 girlsNJConnecticut: #3 for girls · 370 births · 1 in 43 girlsCTCalifornia: #2 for girls · 2,881 births · 1 in 48 girlsCAUtah: #3 for girls · 236 births · 1 in 45 girlsUTColorado: #2 for girls · 443 births · 1 in 36 girlsCONebraska: #3 for girls · 296 births · 1 in 32 girlsNEMissouri: #2 for girls · 829 births · 1 in 38 girlsMOKentucky: #9 for girls · 418 births · 1 in 57 girlsKYWest Virginia: #5 for girls · 309 births · 1 in 39 girlsWVVirginia: #4 for girls · 649 births · 1 in 46 girlsVAMaryland: #4 for girls · 447 births · 1 in 46 girlsMDDelaware: #3 for girls · 78 births · 1 in 39 girlsDEArizona: #2 for girls · 338 births · 1 in 43 girlsAZNew Mexico: #2 for girls · 204 births · 1 in 37 girlsNMKansas: #2 for girls · 350 births · 1 in 35 girlsKSArkansas: #6 for girls · 217 births · 1 in 60 girlsARTennessee: #10 for girls · 387 births · 1 in 73 girlsTNNorth Carolina: #9 for girls · 535 births · 1 in 69 girlsNCSouth Carolina: #9 for girls · 283 births · 1 in 68 girlsSCDistrict of Columbia: #2 for girls · 160 births · 1 in 46 girlsDCOklahoma: #6 for girls · 322 births · 1 in 51 girlsOKLouisiana: #3 for girls · 487 births · 1 in 54 girlsLAMississippi: #15 for girls · 154 births · 1 in 113 girlsMSAlabama: #13 for girls · 260 births · 1 in 93 girlsALGeorgia: #10 for girls · 438 births · 1 in 82 girlsGAHawaii: #2 for girls · 128 births · 1 in 35 girlsHITexas: #5 for girls · 1,503 births · 1 in 64 girlsTXFlorida: #3 for girls · 917 births · 1 in 49 girlsFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. Rhode Island#2 · 1 in 27
  2. Nevada#2 · 1 in 31
  3. Maine#2 · 1 in 32
  4. Alaska#2 · 1 in 32
  5. Hawaii#2 · 1 in 35

Best ever in a state: #1 in Colorado, 1967.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Alaska#2651 in 32
Arizona#23381 in 43
California#22,8811 in 48
Colorado#24431 in 36
District of Columbia#21601 in 46
Hawaii#21281 in 35
Illinois#21,7361 in 43
Kansas#23501 in 35
Maine#22031 in 32
Massachusetts#29001 in 38
Michigan#21,6431 in 38
Missouri#28291 in 38
Nevada#2891 in 31
New Mexico#22041 in 37
Ohio#22,0131 in 37
Oregon#23281 in 39
Pennsylvania#21,6541 in 44
Rhode Island#21901 in 27
Washington#24511 in 43
Connecticut#33701 in 43
Delaware#3781 in 39
Florida#39171 in 49
Iowa#34921 in 35
Louisiana#34871 in 54
Minnesota#36501 in 37
Montana#3951 in 41
Nebraska#32961 in 32
New Hampshire#31121 in 40
New Jersey#37721 in 53
New York#32,1091 in 53
North Dakota#31221 in 32
South Dakota#31191 in 32
Utah#32361 in 45
Wisconsin#37771 in 35
Wyoming#3511 in 34
Idaho#41151 in 41
Indiana#49031 in 41
Maryland#44471 in 46
Virginia#46491 in 46
Texas#51,5031 in 64
West Virginia#53091 in 39
Arkansas#62171 in 60
Oklahoma#63221 in 51
Vermont#8571 in 44
Kentucky#94181 in 57
North Carolina#95351 in 69
South Carolina#92831 in 68
Georgia#104381 in 82
Tennessee#103871 in 73
Alabama#132601 in 93
Mississippi#151541 in 113

Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the girls 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 Michelle
Momentum · girls
Falling
  • 56 spots since 2024 (#409 → #465)
  • 129 spots since 2020 (#336 → #465)
  • 273 spots since 2015 (#192 → #465)
  • Biggest jump: 241 spots in 1938 (#1,196 → #955)
  • Biggest drop: 58 spots in 2021 (#336 → #394)
Rise & fade · girls
54 yrs to peak
  • Debuted 1915
  • Peaked 1969 at #2 (34,319 births)
  • Births halved by 1983, 14 yrs later
Top of the charts · girls
Top 10 for 15 yrs
  • Top 10: 15 yrs · run 1966–1980
  • Top 100: 54 yrs · run 1954–2007
  • Top 1,000: 88 yrs · run 1938–2025
Share of babies · girls
1 in 49
  • Highest: 1 in 49 girls born in 1969 were named Michelle (2.0%)
  • Latest: 1 in 2,432 girls born in 2025 (0.04%)
Era · girls
The 1970s
  • 30.5% of all girls named Michelle (249,130) were born in this decade
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1910s17#3,817 (1919)#4,300
1920s97#2,191 (1929)#3,030
1930s293#918 (1939)#1,640
1940s5,693#213 (1949)#380
1950s46,779#47 (1959)#102
1960s208,293#2 (1969)#18
1970s249,130#2 (1971)#5
1980s154,027#10 (1980)#17
1990s86,532#22 (1990)#39
2000s43,540#52 (2000)#75
2010s17,358#125 (2010)#196
2020s4,751#336 (2020)#397

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

Michelle in 1972

girls
#2
29,285 births · 1 in 52 girls
boys
#688
135 births · 1 in 12,012 boys

Top girls' names in 1972

  1. #1Jennifer63,600
  2. #2Michelle29,285
  3. #3Lisa27,543
  4. #4Kimberly26,282
  5. #5Amy25,873
  6. #6Angela23,561
  7. #7Melissa22,494
  8. #8Stephanie16,890
  9. #9Heather16,320
  10. #10Nicole15,755

Top boys' names in 1972

  1. #1Michael71,393
  2. #2Christopher52,172
  3. #3James47,063
  4. #4David46,322
  5. #5John43,158
  6. #6Robert43,013
  7. #7Jason37,423
  8. #8Brian36,306
  9. #9William30,510
  10. #10Matthew22,928
  11. #688Michelle135
More about 1972

girls

1,521,244 girls got a published name in 1972; 1 in 52 of them was named Michelle, which outranked 100.0% of the 9,666 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 17.6% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Michelle
  1. #1Jennifer63,600
  2. #2Michelle29,285
  3. #3Lisa27,543
  4. #4Kimberly26,282
  5. #5Amy25,873
Biggest movers since 1971
Risers
  1. ↑ 5,804Camisha#6,619 → #815
  2. ↑ 3,921Catina#4,123 → #202
  3. ↑ 1,842Cherilyn#2,665 → #823
  4. ↑ 1,789Chasity#2,542 → #753
  5. ↑ 1,694Keena#2,542 → #848
Fallers
  1. ↓ 517Shayla#836 → #1,353
  2. ↓ 428Raina#798 → #1,226
  3. ↓ 280Kendall#742 → #1,022
  4. ↓ 275Alycia#951 → #1,226
  5. ↓ 255Charisse#727 → #982

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

boys

1,621,608 boys got a published name in 1972; 1 in 12,012 of them was named Michelle, which outranked 88.0% of the 5,751 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 26.5% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Michelle
  1. #685Keven137
  2. #686Alexis136
  3. #686Woodrow136
  4. #688Michelle135
  5. #688Dusty135
  6. #688Harley135
  7. #688Toriano135
  8. #692Adolfo134
  9. #692Antwan134
  10. #692Carroll134

Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1971
Risers
  1. ↑ 2,755Demond#3,146 → #391
  2. ↑ 1,286Cade#2,279 → #993
  3. ↑ 905Vidal#1,526 → #621
  4. ↑ 855Damond#1,784 → #929
  5. ↑ 849Kareem#1,254 → #405
Fallers
  1. ↓ 413Rich#914 → #1,327
  2. ↓ 401Monroe#947 → #1,348
  3. ↓ 317Laura#990 → #1,307
  4. ↓ 309Von#976 → #1,285
  5. ↓ 309Westley#998 → #1,307

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

See the top 100 for 1972 →