Michael
A classic biblical surname and given name meaning “Who is like God?”
The #847 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 7,579 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Michael comes from the biblical personal name Mikha'el, traditionally understood as a rhetorical question meaning “Who is like God?” The name was carried into Greek and Latin through Christian usage and then became common across Europe as both a given name and, later, a surname. As a surname, it usually began as a hereditary form of the personal name rather than as a description or place-name.
History
The name spread widely in medieval Christendom because of the archangel Michael’s importance in Christian tradition. English records show related surname forms such as Michaels, Michaelson, and Michel, reflecting the name’s use in different languages and regional spelling habits. In English-speaking countries, Michael has remained especially familiar because it has long been a popular first name as well as a surname.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because the surname often developed from a father’s first name, it is one of several European surnames that can be traced back to the same famous biblical figure.
From the historical record
“MIALL, a syncopated form of Michaei, q.v. MICHAEL (A.-Heb.) Who is Like to God ? [Heb. Mikhail -mi, who? + k,' like + ■El, God] MICHAELS, Michael's (Son) "I . ^.. i, , MICHAELSON, MiCHAEL'sSoN / ^- IVlichael. MICHEL IMcAe/isthe A.-French form of MICHELLJ Michael, q.v.”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)