Total births
10,539
Unisex name · since 1880
Michel
10,539 babies named Michel in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 1957. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #3608
- among boys today
- 10,539
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 75%
- more common than other boys
10,539 babies have been named Michel since 1880, making it today's #3608 unisex name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Michel has been recorded 10,539 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #3608 nationally and more common than 75% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1950s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #3608 among boys today
- 10,539 born since 1880
- 1950s peak decade
- 75% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Michel is currently the #3608 unisex name in America, more common than 75% of boys - 10,539 born since 1880, peaking in the 1950s.
- #3608
- among boys today
- 10,539
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 75%
- more common than other boys
Michel vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#3608
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 75% of names given to boys today.
1950s
Peak decade
22% of everyone ever named Michel was born in this single decade.
1957
Single peak year
284 babies were named Michel in 1957 - its busiest year on record.
How Michel compares
10,539 Top 8% higher than 92% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Michel's all-time total is 29x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Michel | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 10,539 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 284 | 23 | 22,252 |
Michel's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Michel's full recorded timeline at 1962, 57% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 43% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1883, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1957 peak of 284 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Michel at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1957
Current rank
#3,608
Active since
1880
Michel popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1957)
- 284
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Michel popularity over time - girls
3,555 total births recorded since 1939 (Michel as girls' name)
Michel by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Michel's strongest decade.
2,309 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 22% of all-time use.
Michel births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 24
1880s
24 births
- 1890s 17
1890s
17 births
- 1900s 40
1900s
40 births
- 1910s 187
1910s
187 births
- 1920s 281
1920s
281 births
- 1930s 249
1930s
249 births
- 1940s
1940s
949 births
- 1950s
1950s
2,309 births
- 1960s
1960s
2,032 births
- 1970s
1970s
1,401 births
- 1980s
1980s
1,160 births
- 1990s 822
1990s
822 births
- 2000s 584
2000s
584 births
- 2010s 330
2010s
330 births
- 2020s 154
2020s
154 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 2,309 births (22% of all-time use).
How Michel compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Michel's total volume
Michel vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Michel by state
Where Michel concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 1,171 | 11.1% |
| #2 | New York | | 918 | 8.7% |
| #3 | Texas | | 595 | 5.6% |
| #4 | Florida | | 394 | 3.7% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 322 | 3.1% |
| #6 | Louisiana | | 313 | 3.0% |
| #7 | Ohio | | 283 | 2.7% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 215 | 2.0% |
California share of Michel's total US births 11.1%
Even split
1,171 of 10,539 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 36 reporting states.
Michel appears in 36 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Michel? ▼
10,539 babies have been named Michel since 1880. It currently ranks #3608 among boys. The peak year was 1957 with 284 births.
When was Michel most popular? ▼
Michel was most popular in the 1950s decade with 2,309 total births. The single peak year was 1957.
Where is Michel most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Michel are California (1,171 births), New York (918 births), Texas (595 births).
Is Michel a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Michel is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 10,539 births, and as a girl's name it has 3,555 births.
How long has the name Michel been used? ▼
Records for Michel go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Michel? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Michael, Micheal, Micah, Mickey, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Michel's data
- Michel's decade-level peak was the 1950s (2,309 total births); usage has since declined to 154 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Michels (1,171 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Michel
Nearby Names Like Michel
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Michel
Michael Boy
#18 4,426,753 births
Micheal Boy
#1332 154,719 births
Micah Boy
#86 119,571 births
Mickey Boy
#1644 27,627 births
Michal Boy
#8359 3,782 births
Compare Michel side by side: Michel vs Michael Michel vs Micheal Michel vs Micah
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Michel
Armand #3607
15,343 births · Peak 1918
Guadalupe #3609
25,081 births · Peak 1948
Christ #3606
3,977 births · Peak 1923
Dewey #3610
34,373 births · Peak 1898
Freeman #3605
10,991 births · Peak 1918
Amiel #3611
1,251 births · Peak 2025
Zeovanni #3604
39 births · Peak 2024
Myer #3612
1,073 births · Peak 1918
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Michel: #3608 Unisex Name - 10,539 Births, Peak 1957." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/michel. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Michel draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.