Michelle is a girl name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Michelle means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Michelle across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Michelle has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Michelle is a girl name of Hebrew origin meaning “who is like God”. the French feminine form of Michael.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 819,760 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 4,801 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 9,996 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 166 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 16,106 births |
| New Zealand top 100, since 1954 | 12,961 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Michelle per year, United States (1915 to 2025). United States peaked in 1969 (34,457/yr) · Ireland peaked in 1982 (732/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1982 (704/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 1996 (285/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 1997 (18/yr).
Michelle has been one of the most popular baby names in the United States. It was most common in 1969, when it ranked #9 nationally (given to 34,759 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 1960s.
Michele · Mitchell · Micheal · Michel · Mechelle · Michell · Mitchel · Machelle
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