Michael
Boy name · #21 in 2025 · Very well-known
Michael ranks #21 among American boys' names as of 2025, with 8,094 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #9, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 222 boys born in 2025 was named Michael.
The 145-year story
Michael first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 354 boys received the name. Its peak came in 1957, when 92,781 boys were named Michael — good for #1 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Michael per year. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Michael against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Michael in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Michael is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very well-known". A low score means broad familiarity: teachers will spell it right, and your child may share it with a classmate. For many families that's a feature, not a bug.
Where Michael is most common
Geography matters for names, and Michael is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Michael is most common in WY (13 per 1,000), AK (11 per 1,000), RI (9.9 per 1,000), DE (8.8 per 1,000), NJ (8.6 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 5.5 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Michael is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Nicknames & related forms of Michael
Michael carries a whole family of nicknames and spellings — names that will feel like the same name in a classroom.
Counted as one name, the Michael family went to about 8,307 boys in 2025 — together they'd rank around #19, versus #21 for Michael alone.
Names like Michael
Statistically, parents drawn to Michael tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Joseph, Daniel, Thomas, David, and John.
JosephDanielThomasDavidJohnCharlesWilliamMatthew
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Michael | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 8,094 | #21 |
| 2024 | 8,229 | #18 |
| 2023 | 8,430 | #16 |
| 2022 | 8,895 | #16 |
| 2021 | 9,150 | #17 |
| 2020 | 9,833 | #12 |
| 2019 | 10,619 | #14 |
| 2018 | 11,756 | #14 |
| 2017 | 12,726 | #12 |
| 2016 | 14,145 | #8 |
| 2015 | 14,504 | #9 |
| 2014 | 15,505 | #7 |
| 2013 | 15,544 | #7 |
| 2012 | 16,211 | #7 |
| 2011 | 16,823 | #6 |
| 2010 | 17,387 | #3 |
| 2009 | 18,964 | #3 |
| 2008 | 20,652 | #2 |
| 2007 | 22,027 | #2 |
| 2006 | 22,653 | #2 |
| 2005 | 23,828 | #2 |
| 2004 | 25,470 | #2 |
| 2003 | 27,129 | #2 |
| 2002 | 28,258 | #2 |
| 2001 | 29,689 | #2 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Michael a popular boy name?
Michael ranked #21 among boys in 2025 with 8,094 babies given the name — firmly in the top 100, so yes, it’s a popular choice. Ten years earlier it ranked #9.
When was the name Michael most popular?
Michael peaked in 1957, when 92,781 American boys received the name (ranked #1 that year). Since 1957 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Michael?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 222 newborn American boys was named Michael. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very well-known".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.