Macheal
A masculine name of Hebrew origin meaning "who is like God?"
Name Census estimates that about 43 living Americans carry the first name Macheal. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 67.3% of registrations being male. The average person named Macheal today is around 58 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Macheal births was 1969 (10 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Macheal. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Macheal. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
43
~ 1 in 7,971,031 Americans
Peak year
1969
10 babies that year
Average age
58
years old
1974 SSA rank
#4,448
Tracked since 1960
Gender
Gender distribution for Macheal
Macheal is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 49 total registrations, 33 (67.3%) were male and 16 (32.7%) were female.
Macheal as a male name
- Ranked #4,448 in 1974
- 7 male births in 1974
- Peak: 1974 (7 births)
Macheal as a female name
- Ranked #11,202 in 1979
- 5 female births in 1979
- Peak: 1966 (6 births)
Popularity
Macheal: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Macheal from the 1960s through to the 1970s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 32 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1960s peak, Macheal remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Macheal by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Macheal during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Macheal
The name Macheal is believed to have its origins in the ancient Middle Eastern region, tracing its roots back to the Hebrew language. It is a variant spelling of the name Michael, which derives from the Hebrew phrase "Mi ke El," meaning "Who is like God?" This name has been a part of various cultures and traditions for centuries.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Macheal can be found in the Bible's Book of Daniel, where the archangel Michael is depicted as a protector and guardian. In the New Testament, Michael is portrayed as the leader of the heavenly host, battling against the forces of evil. This biblical significance has contributed to the enduring popularity of the name.
Throughout history, numerous notable individuals have borne the name Macheal or its variants. One of the most famous is Michael the Archangel, revered in Christianity, Islam, and Judaism as a powerful celestial being. Another influential figure was Michael the Syrian (1126-1199), a renowned Patriarch of the Syriac Orthodox Church and a chronicler of religious history.
In the realm of literature, Michael Drayton (1563-1631) was an esteemed English poet who wrote extensively on historical and mythological themes. Michael Faraday (1791-1867), a pioneering English scientist, made significant contributions to the study of electromagnetism and electrochemistry.
The name Macheal also found its way into the world of art, with Michael Angelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1571-1610), a renowned Italian Baroque painter known for his revolutionary approach to naturalism and chiaroscuro technique.
While the spelling "Macheal" is less common than the traditional "Michael," it has been used throughout history, reflecting the diverse cultural influences and linguistic variations that have shaped the name over time. Regardless of its spelling, the name Macheal carries a rich legacy of religious significance, cultural impact, and historical prominence.
People
Macheal + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Macheal as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with M
Other first names starting with M with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Macheal: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Macheal?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 43 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Macheal going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 7,971,031 US residents.
Is Macheal a common name?
We classify Macheal as "Very Rare". It ranks above 52.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 49 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Macheal most popular?
The single biggest year for Macheal was 1969, when 10 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Macheal is about 58 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Macheal a male name?
Yes, 67.3% of people registered as Macheal in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.