Michele
A unisex given name A female given name from French [in turn from Hebrew], equivalent to English Michelle, anglicized form of French Michèle, a French spelling variant…
Every Michele since 1905 — 226,063 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Michele
Michele is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #4,837 in 2025 with 28 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.
Since 1905, 226,063 American babies have been named Michele. Its peak came in 1968, when 11,281 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1960s.
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 Michele stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Michele 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 | 28 | #4,837 | — | — |
| 2024 | 35 | #4,179 | — | — |
| 2023 | 24 | #5,339 | 9 | #8,692 |
| 2022 | 33 | #4,348 | 7 | #10,499 |
| 2021 | 22 | #5,690 | 8 | #9,395 |
| 2020 | 35 | #4,057 | 8 | #9,267 |
| 2019 | 28 | #4,862 | 10 | #8,010 |
| 2018 | 31 | #4,529 | 8 | #9,368 |
| 2017 | 36 | #4,125 | 9 | #8,607 |
| 2016 | 60 | #2,853 | 13 | #6,593 |
| 2015 | 61 | #2,877 | — | — |
| 2014 | 48 | #3,356 | 5 | #13,386 |
| 2013 | 63 | #2,756 | 9 | #8,546 |
| 2012 | 62 | #2,825 | 10 | #7,942 |
| 2011 | 58 | #2,980 | 10 | #7,894 |
| 2010 | 72 | #2,556 | 10 | #7,953 |
| 2009 | 88 | #2,237 | 10 | #8,101 |
| 2008 | 98 | #2,090 | 13 | #6,648 |
| 2007 | 107 | #1,934 | 15 | #5,826 |
| 2006 | 149 | #1,485 | 11 | #7,263 |
| 2005 | 147 | #1,449 | 11 | #6,951 |
| 2004 | 196 | #1,159 | 18 | #4,719 |
| 2003 | 213 | #1,058 | 18 | #4,555 |
| 2002 | 207 | #1,040 | 20 | #4,142 |
| 2001 | 265 | #864 | 26 | #3,378 |
| 2000 | 247 | #891 | 22 | #3,718 |
| 1995 | 471 | #516 | 17 | #3,796 |
| 1990 | 1,164 | #244 | 36 | #2,066 |
| 1985 | 1,477 | #182 | 33 | #1,824 |
| 1980 | 2,486 | #126 | 37 | #1,610 |
| 1975 | 5,033 | #56 | 64 | #1,037 |
| 1970 | 10,090 | #31 | 74 | #930 |
| 1965 | 8,661 | #48 | 41 | #1,199 |
| 1960 | 5,609 | #89 | 38 | #1,287 |
| 1955 | 4,768 | #93 | 23 | #1,631 |
| 1950 | 2,500 | #128 | 20 | #1,688 |
| 1945 | 948 | #206 | 13 | #1,988 |
| 1940 | 102 | #692 | 9 | #2,614 |
| 1935 | 33 | #1,255 | — | — |
| 1930 | 6 | #4,396 | 13 | #2,258 |
| 1925 | 11 | #3,068 | 21 | #1,724 |
| 1920 | 7 | #4,275 | 22 | #1,676 |
| 1915 | 5 | #4,753 | 13 | #2,138 |
| 1910 | — | — | — | — |
| 1905 | — | — | 5 | #1,362 |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1895 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1885 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
Famous people named Michele
- Michele Ferrero Businessperson · 1925–2015
- Michele Placido Actor · b. 1946
- Michele Sanmicheli Architect · 1484–1559
- Michele Alboreto Racing driver · 1956–2001
- Michele Ruggieri Writer · 1543–1607
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Michele mean?
A unisex given name A female given name from French [in turn from Hebrew], equivalent to English Michelle, anglicized form of French Michèle, a French spelling variant of Michelle.
How popular is the name Michele in 2025?
Michele ranked #4,837 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 28 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Michele?
226,063 babies have been named Michele in the United States since 1905, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Michele most popular?
Michele peaked in 1968, when 11,281 newborns received the name.
Is Michele a boy or girl name?
Michele is overwhelmingly a girl's name — 99% of babies with the name.
Is the name Michele rising or falling?
Michele is declining — less popular now than a decade ago.
Who are famous people named Michele?
Well-known people named Michele include Michele Ferrero (businessperson), Michele Placido (actor), Michele Sanmicheli (architect).