Baby Names US
Unisex name ★ peaked 1957

Michel

Meaning A male given name from French, equivalent to English Michael Gender Unisex · 25% girls Rank 2025 #4,642 Trend → Stable

A male given name from French, equivalent to English Michael.

Rank 2025
#4,642
among boys · ↓980 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
31
named Michel · -33% vs 2024
How common
1 in 77,640
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1957
325 babies
All-time total
14,094
#1,175 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Michel popularity over time

14,094 babies have been named Michel since 1880, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.040.080.110.1518801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – 24 24 2 – #796
1890s – 17 17 2 -29% #691
1900s – 40 40 4 +135% #897
1910s – 187 187 19 +368% #1,209
1920s – 281 281 28 +50% #1,322
1930s 5 249 254 25 -10% #1,116
1940s 187 949 1,136 114 +347% #518
1950s 354 2,309 2,663 266 +134% #458
1960s 680 2,032 2,712 271 +2% #487
1970s 641 1,401 2,042 204 -25% #628
1980s 469 1,160 1,629 163 -20% #765
1990s 461 822 1,283 128 -21% #894
2000s 586 584 1,170 117 -9% #1,776
2010s 116 330 446 45 -62% #2,576
2020s (to 2025) 56 154 210 35 -22% #3,662

Where Michel is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 22 0.01 outside top 500
2027 22 0.01 outside top 500
2028 22 0.01 outside top 500
2029 22 0.01 outside top 500
2030 22 0.01 outside top 500

The story of Michel

Michel is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #4,642 in 2025 with 22 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 14,094 American babies have been named Michel, about 75% boys and 25% girls, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 1957, when 325 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1950s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Michel stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Michel?

The median living Michel is about 52 years old; half are between 34 and 65. An estimated 11 thousand people named Michel are alive in the United States today.

median 52 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Michel year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 9 #10,637 22 #4,642
2024 15 #7,479 31 #3,662
2023 11 #9,409 27 #4,082
2022 7 #13,136 23 #4,532
2021 7 #13,061 25 #4,190
2020 7 #13,038 26 #3,991
2019 5 #17,215 26 #4,071
2018 6 #15,048 27 #3,956
2017 9 #11,319 30 #3,641
2016 6 #15,602 20 #4,884
2015 13 #8,781 41 #2,897
2014 11 #9,952 26 #3,979
2013 – – 36 #3,103
2012 18 #7,066 34 #3,282
2011 19 #6,770 48 #2,576
2010 29 #4,930 42 #2,856
2009 55 #3,116 55 #2,373
2008 44 #3,688 52 #2,453
2007 56 #3,115 55 #2,359
2006 75 #2,477 63 #2,093
2005 64 #2,662 57 #2,157
2004 62 #2,668 68 #1,824
2003 66 #2,482 63 #1,881
2002 59 #2,628 49 #2,184
2001 52 #2,836 60 #1,859
2000 53 #2,767 62 #1,776
1995 53 #2,445 65 #1,486
1990 39 #2,935 132 #894
1985 38 #2,577 103 #896
1980 56 #1,926 95 #917
1975 61 #1,616 142 #698
1970 89 #1,254 167 #628
1965 62 #1,402 200 #541
1960 56 #1,477 267 #487
1955 36 #1,764 239 #475
1950 26 #1,896 193 #484
1945 22 #1,816 76 #702
1940 – – 37 #1,088
1935 – – 25 #1,386
1930 – – 27 #1,414
1925 – – 31 #1,322
1920 – – 28 #1,410
1915 – – 24 #1,397
1910 – – 6 #1,529
1905 – – – –
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – 6 #878

Famous people named Michel

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Michel Foucault Michel Foucault French philosopher (1926–1984) Contemporary
  2. 2 Michel Platini Michel Platini French football player administrator and player (born 1955) Contemporary
  3. 3 Michel de Montaigne Michel de Montaigne French author and philosopher (1533–1592) 16th century
  4. 4 Michel Houellebecq Michel Houellebecq French writer (born 1956) Contemporary
  5. 5 Michel Ney Michel Ney French military commander (1769–1815) 18th century
  6. 6 Michel Temer Michel Temer President of Brazil from 2016 to 2019 b. 1940 · Contemporary
  7. 7 Michel Aflaq Michel Aflaq Syrian philosopher, sociologist and Arab nationalist (1910–1989) Contemporary
  8. 8 Michel Aoun Michel Aoun President of Lebanon from 2016 to 2022 b. 1935 · Contemporary
  9. 9 Michel Legrand Michel Legrand French film score composer (1932–2019) Contemporary
  10. 10 Michel Preud'homme Michel Preud'homme Belgian footballer (born 1959) Contemporary
  11. 11 Michel Piccoli Michel Piccoli French actor (1925–2020) Contemporary
  12. 12 Michel Suleiman Michel Suleiman President of Lebanon from 2008 to 2014 b. 1948 · Contemporary
  13. 13 Michel de Certeau French Jesuit priest and scholar (1925–1986) Contemporary
  14. 14 Michel Serrault Michel Serrault French actor (1928–2007) Contemporary
  15. 15 Michel Debré Michel Debré Prime Minister of France from 1959 to 1962 1912–1996 · Contemporary
  16. 16 Michel Galabru Michel Galabru French actor (1922–2016) Contemporary
  17. 17 Michel Serres Michel Serres French philosopher (1930–2019) Contemporary
  18. 18 Michel Eugène Chevreul Michel Eugène Chevreul French chemist (1786–1889) 18th century
  19. 19 Michel Verne Michel Verne French novelist (1861–1925) 19th century
  20. 20 Michel Fokine Michel Fokine Russian choreographer (1880–1942) 19th century

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Michel, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Michel?

The median living Michel is about 52 years old. Half of all living Michels are between 34 and 65 years old.

How many people named Michel are alive today?

An estimated 11 thousand people named Michel are alive in the United States, based on 14,094 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Michel mean?

A male given name from French, equivalent to English Michael.

How popular is the name Michel in 2025?

Michel ranked #4,642 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 22 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Michel?

14,094 babies have been named Michel in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Michel most popular?

Michel peaked in 1957, when 325 newborns received the name.

Is Michel a boy or girl name?

Michel is used for both: about 25% of babies named Michel have been girls and 75% boys.

Is the name Michel rising or falling?

Michel is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Will Michel become more popular?

Michel looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 22 boys named Michel in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Michel?

Well-known people named Michel include Michel Foucault (philosopher), Michel Platini (soccer player), Michel de Montaigne (philosopher).

Names like Michel

Names that sound and feel close to Michel: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Michel with similar names → More names starting with M →