Michelle Name, Meaning, Origin, History, And Popularity

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In This Article

Origin, Meaning, And History of Michelle

The name Michael is derived from the Hebrew name “Mikha’el,” meaning “one who is close to God.” A variant of the French Michel and the Biblical masculine name Michael, the name Michelle means “one who resembles God.” The original version of the name was Michele, later Anglicized to Michelle in the 20th century.

The name has several variants across cultures and languages. They include Machell, Michala, Michel, Michele, Micheline, Michelina, Michi, Shelley, Mikaela, and Misheel. Michelle can have nicknames like Mic, Chelle, Mich, Mischa, Mish, Missy, Mitch, Mishi, Shell, and Shelly. The name is predominantly a girl’s name but is used as a male name in some Latin and non-English-speaking European countries.

The name bears Biblical significance too. Michael is also called Saint Michael, the Archangel in the Bible, a name given to Jesus before and after his life on earth. He is depicted as a great captain, the leader of heaven, and a warrior helping the Israelites. In artwork, he is often portrayed as a figure with a sword fighting against a dragon, as mentioned in The Book of Revelation (Apocalypse).

The name also made a significant impact on popular culture. Michelle Jones Watson, most popularly known as MJ is a popular character recurring as the love interest of Spider-Man in the Marvel Comics series “Spider-Man.” Michelle is also the name of a popular song by The Beatles from the album “Rubber Soul” released in 1965. The album was an instant hit across the globe with millions of admirers. Michelle Scully is a character from the Australian soap opera “Neighbors” played by Kate Keltie.

Michelle as a name gained popularity in the US in the 1950s and 1960s. However, Michael is a name that has been around for thousands of years, with its first reference in the 3rd century BC. The name has maintained a spot among the most popular girl names in the US for decades. Famous personalities like Michelle Obama, US attorney and former First Lady, and Michelle Rodriguez, an American actress, made the name even more popular among the masses.

Michelle

Meaning Who is like God

Gender Girl

Religion Judaism

Origin English, Hebrew

Lucky Number 4

Syllables Three

Length 1 word, 8 letters, 3 vowels, 5 consonants

Type Medium length and moderately easy to pronounce

How To Pronounce Michelle?

Pronounced as mi-chelle

The way you pronounce a name can make all the difference.

Listen to the sound of the name Michelle in English.

Famous People With The Name Michelle

Michelle ObamaAuthor and the former First Lady of the US
Michelle BranchAmerican singer, songwriter, and guitarist, winner of the Grammy Award
Michelle McCoolAmerican professional wrestler and former WWE Divas champion
Michelle RodriguezAmerican actress and winner of the Independent Spirit Award
Michelle PfeifferAmerican actress known for her role in Scarface
Michelle KwanFormer American skater and a diplomat serving as the US Ambassador to Belize

Michelle On The Popularity Chart

The name Michelle steadily rose in the popularity chart from the 1930s, making its way among the top 100 names in the mid-1950s. Check out the graphs below to see its evolution over the years.

Popularity Over Time

The popularity of Michelle gained impetus from the 1950s till the 1980s, after which it saw a downward trend, with only 793 babies per million being named Michelle in 2021.

Source: Social Security Administration

Rank Over Time

Michelle was among the top 100 names till the latter half of the 2000s. Since then, its ranking has gradually dropped, although securing a place among the top 500 names. Currently, the name is ranked 393 in 2021.

Source: Social Security Administration

Michelle On MomJunction Popularity Chart

Know how popular the name Michelle is among the MomJunction readers. We used a unique approach to gather relevant insights for creating this popularity chart by observing the interactions and interest around the name on our platform. See what the trend has been among our readers over these past years.

Names With Similar Sound As Michelle

If the sound of Michelle struck a chord, then you will love these similar-sounding names as Michelle.

Popular Sibling Names For Michelle

If you are looking for some matching sibling names that resonate with Michelle, check our suggestions here.

Boy Sibling Names For Michelle

Find matching brother names for Michelle and create a wonderful team of siblings.

Girl Sibling Names For Michelle

Looking for some suitable sister names for Michelle? Check out our collection of beautiful and unique names.

Other Popular Names Beginning With M

Looking for more baby names starting with the letter M to resonate with your family’s naming tradition or to rhyme with the sibling names? Find a range of alternative names starting with this letter.

Names With Similar Meaning As Michelle

If names with religious meanings are on your list, your search ends here.

Popular Songs On The Name Michelle

Michelle has a lyrical presence in various songs. Check them out here.

Song	Artist
Michelle	Sir Chloe
Michelle - Remastered 2009	The Beatles
Michelle (Slowed + Reverb)	Orgvsm
Michelle	Anton Byers
Michelle	Yusef Lateef
Michelle	Tish Melton
Michelle - Remastered 2009	The Beatles
The Game of Love (feat. Michelle Branch) - Main / Radio Mix	Santana

Michelle’s Zodiac Sign And Birth Star As Per Vedic Astrology

Vedic astrology, also called Jyotisha, provides deep insights into a person’s life based on celestial positions at birth. Rashi and nakshatra, which are an integral part of Jyotisha, are believed to influence an individual’s personality and life events. The following sections give you rashi-related information, such as the associated letters, elements, ruling body, quality, and nakshatra for the name Michelle. These details help analyze a person’s characteristics, personality, and behavior.

Zodiac Sign (Rashi)

As shown in the following table, each rashi is associated with specific sounds, which are often used as the starting letters of names for newborns in Hindu families. Each rashi is represented by a figure and one of the five elements – Earth, Water, Fire, Air, and Ether (Space). One ruling celestial body, known as its 'rashi lord' or 'ruler' is assigned to these rashis. These bodies include Venus, Mars, Sun, Moon, Mercury, Jupiter, and Saturn. Furthermore, the rashis are assigned various qualities or gunas.

Rashi (zodiac sign)	Simha (Leo)
Starting letters for Simha (Leo) rashi	M, TT
Representation	Lion
Element	Fire
Ruling body	Sun
Quality	Fixed

Birth Star (Nakshatra)

Another important aspect of Vedic Astrology is the nakshatras, the lunar constellations or star clusters that the Moon occupies during a person's birth. There are 27 nakshatras, each with its own unique qualities, attributes, and symbolism. Each rashi contains two-and-one-fourth nakshatras in it. For example, Aries contains Ashwini, Bharani, and Krithika nakshatras.

The below table provides information on the nakshatras’ degrees on the zodiac circle, their lords and related syllables, for babies born in the Simha (Leo) rashi. These syllables/phonetics are popularly used to choose the baby name. For precise nakshatra calculation based on your baby's birthplace and date, use our Nakshatra Calculator.

Nakshatra	Degrees Of The Nakshatra	Nakshatra Lord (Ruler)	Name Syllables
Magha (Makha, Makam)	Leo (0 to 13.20 degrees)	Ketu	Ma, Maa, Mi, Mee, Mu, Me
Purva Phalguni (Pooram, Pubba)	Leo (13.20 to 26.40 degrees)	Venus	Mo, Ta, Taa, Ti, Tee, Tu
Uttara Phalguni (Uthiram, Utram)	Leo (26.40 to 30 degrees)	Sun	Te, Ta, Taa, To, Pa, Paa, Pi, Pee

Infographic: Know The Name Michelle‘s Personality As Per Numerology

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Michelle In Different Languages

It’s exciting to see our baby’s name spelled and written in various languages. See how people spell Michelle in Spanish, French, German, Italian, and more! Each language has its own way of saying Michelle, but it’s still the same special name. Learn how the name looks and sounds in different languages around the world!

Name	Language	Code
Michelle	English	en
米歇尔	Chinese	zh-CN
मिशेल	Hindi	hi
Michelle	Spanish	es
Michelle	French	fr
ميشيل	Arabic	ar
মিশেল	Bengali	bn
Michelle	Portuguese	pt
Мишель	Russian	ru
مشیل	Urdu	ur
Michelle	Indonesian	id
Michelle	German	de
ミシェル	Japanese	ja
मिशेल	Marathi	mr
మిచెల్	Telugu	te
Michelle	Turkish	tr
மிச்செல்	Tamil	ta
Michelle	Vietnamese	vi
Michelle	Tagalog	tl
미셸	Korean	ko
Michelle	Hausa	ha
Michelle	Swahili	sw
Michelle	Javanese	jv
Michelle	Italian	it
ਮਿਸ਼ੇਲ	Punjabi	pa
મિશેલ	Gujarati	gu
มิเชล	Thai	th
ಮಿಚೆಲ್	Kannada	kn
ሚሼል	Amharic	am
मिशेल	Bhojpuri	bho
Michelle	Yoruba	yo

How To Communicate The Name Michelle In Sign Languages

In Nautical Flags

michelle

In Sign Language

michelle

In Braille Alphabet

michelle

In Morse Code

michelle

Name Numerology For Michelle

Numerology is an occult system that gives significance to numbers and their influence on human life and destiny. Numerologists attribute specific qualities, energies, and characteristics to a number. Parents who believe in numerology prefer to choose baby names that resonate positively with the child’s unique numerical vibrations, often derived from their date of birth. Here we give a general birth number and personality traits of the name Michelle, based on the Pythagorean (Western) system. This analysis will differ from child to child based on their date of birth. You may use our numerology calculator for more personalized information.

Baby Name Lists Containing Michelle

Read through our baby name lists that include the name Michelle and several other similar names. The wider the choice, the better your selection. Isn't it?

Movie Titles Inspired By The Name Michelle

Discover the presence of Michelle in an array of films. Know about the various movies that have this name.

Movie title	Other titles	Release year
For Michelle		2017
Michelle & Isabelle		2009
Miguel/Michelle	Miguel, Michelle	1998
The Michelle Apts.	Els apartaments Michelle, Orasul pierzaniei, The Michelle Apartments	1995
Manolo en Michelle hapi together		1994
Paul and Michelle	Amigos... y amantes, Juntos hasta la muerte, Paul aur Michelle, Paul e Michelle, Paul et Michèle, Paul und Michelle	1974

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the meaning of the name Michelle?

The name Michelle means ‘one who is close to God.’

2. What is the origin of the name Michelle?

Michelle has a Hebrew origin.

3. How to pronounce the name Michelle?

Michelle is pronounced as mi-chelle.

4. Is Michelle a unique name?

Michelle is not a unique name. According to SSA data, Michelle has been in the top 500 names in the US since 1942. In 2022, 818 babies were named Michelle and it was the 380th most popular name during the same year (1).

5. Is Michelle a modern name?

Michelle is not seen as a modern name. It has a long history and has been used for centuries. So, while it has gone through phases of increased popularity in modern times, it is not entirely a modern name. Its origins can be traced back to the centuries-old French feminine variant of the name Michel.

6. What are common nicknames for Michelle?

Michelle is a name with two syllables and hence nicknames with fewer syllables may resonate with it. Micheline, Chelle, Shell, Shelly, Misch, and Mich are popular diminutives for the name Michelle that may sound apt for it. These are just a few examples; some people may adopt distinct or creative nicknames based on the specific sound or meaning they associate with the name Michelle.

References:

MomJunction's articles are written after analyzing the research works of expert authors and institutions. Our references consist of resources established by authorities in their respective fields. You can learn more about the authenticity of the information we present in our editorial policy.

Popularity of name Michelle.
https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/

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