Meaning and origin
The last name Michel has its origin in the Hebrew name "Michael," meaning "Who is like God?" It was introduced to various European countries through the spread of Christianity and specifically gained popularity in France and Germany during the Middle Ages. As a patronymic surname, Michel typically denoted "son of Michel," indicating descent from someone named Michael.
Surname origins are rarely settled: one spelling can have several sources, and families often took a name for reasons nobody wrote down. Check it against the sources below before you rely on it.
#1,383
Michel was the 1,383rd most common surname in the 2010 US Census, with 25,578 people, about 8.3 in every 100,000.
Who carries it
Surnames like Michel
Names it is linked with, then names with the same origin and a similar standing.
Check the sources
- Forebears: where Michel is found around the world
- The Internet Surname Database: a second opinion on the origin
- US Census Bureau: the 2010 surname figures used here
For a name you are serious about, compare the dictionaries: Reaney and Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames; Hanks, Dictionary of American Family Names.