Michele
Michele was the 4837th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 28 babies. Its best year was 1968, when it ranked 29th with 11,219 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 1,960 places. More babies were named Michele in the 1960s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Michelle) who is like God? (feminine of Michael) · Hebrew, French
- Rank in 2025
- #4,837 girls, down 780 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 28girls
- Girls and boys
- 86% girls, 14% boys2021–2025
- Peak year
- 196811,219 babies
- Total since 1880
- 226,063babies recorded
What does the name Michele mean?
Michele is a spelling of Michelle, pronounced the same way, so it shares Michelle's meaning and origin.
Michelle is the French feminine of Michel, the French form of Michael. DMNES and Harrison (1918) derive Michael from Hebrew Mikha'el, "who is like God?", a question implying that no one is. DMNES records Michelle in French and Walloon records of the 1560s-1590s. Wiktionary notes Michelle was popular in English-speaking countries from the 1960s to the 1990s.
מִיכָאֵל (Biblical Hebrew, “who is like God?”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Michael, Michaela, Michele, Shelly.
See also: Hebrew names, names that mean God.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Michelle', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources (ed. S. L. Uckelman), Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Michaela', DMNES, Durham University
- Henry Harrison, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary, vol. 2 (1918), s.v. 'MICHAEL', Morland Press (public domain; Internet Archive scan)
Michele popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #4,837 | — | 28 | — |
| 2020 | #4,057 | #9,267 | 35 | 8 |
| 2010 | #2,556 | #7,953 | 72 | 10 |
| 2000 | #891 | #3,718 | 247 | 22 |
| 1990 | #244 | #2,066 | 1,164 | 36 |
| 1980 | #126 | #1,610 | 2,486 | 37 |
| 1970 | #31 | #930 | 10,090 | 74 |
| 1960 | #89 | #1,287 | 5,609 | 38 |
| 1950 | #128 | #1,688 | 2,500 | 20 |
| 1940 | #692 | #2,614 | 102 | 9 |
| 1930 | #4,396 | #2,258 | 6 | 13 |
| 1920 | #4,275 | #1,676 | 7 | 22 |
| 1910 | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
How popular is Michele, counting every spelling?
Michele is a spelling of Michelle, a name family that ranked #463 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #4,837 for Michele on its own. Together these spellings went to 689 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michelle | 661 | #465 | 3,828 |
| Michele | 28 | #4,837 | 142 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Michele?
28 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Michele (0.01 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Michele born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 298 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Michele.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Michele?
About 195,100 people born in the US named Michele are alive today, with a median age of 58; half are between 53 and 65. That makes Michele a name most people associate with older generations.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Michele by state
How common Michele was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. In 49 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Michele: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Michele, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Michele
What does Michele mean?
Michele is a spelling of Michelle, which means “who is like God? (feminine of Michael)” (Hebrew, French origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Michele?
Michele was the 4837th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 28 babies. Its best year was 1968, when it ranked 29th with 11,219 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 1,960 places. More babies were named Michele in the 1960s than in any other decade.
Is Michele a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, 86% girls, 14% boys given the name Michele in the US.
Where is Michele most popular?
In 2021–2025, Michele was most common in New York (0.01 per 1,000 girls), followed by California and California.