Micaela
A feminine name of Hebrew and Spanish origin meaning "who is like God".
Name Census estimates that about 13,436 living Americans carry the first name Micaela. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Micaela today is around 27 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Micaela births was 1995 (585 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Micaela. 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.
People living today
13K
~ 1 in 25,510 Americans
Peak year
1995
585 babies that year
Average age
27
years old
1987 SSA rank
#1,118
Tracked since 1895
Gender
Gender distribution for Micaela
Out of the 14,809 babies given the name Micaela since 1880, 100.0% were registered as female. The name sits firmly on the female side of the spectrum, with only a handful of male registrations across the entire dataset.
Micaela as a male name
- Ranked #6,670 in 1987
- 6 male births in 1987
- Peak: 1987 (6 births)
Micaela as a female name
- Ranked #1,118 in 2024
- 216 female births in 2024
- Peak: 1995 (585 births)
Popularity
Micaela: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Micaela from the 1890s through to the 2020s, spanning 14 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 4,359 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Micaela 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 Micaela during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Micaelas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 41 states and territories. California, Texas, Florida recorded the most babies named Micaela, while New Hampshire, Maine, Alaska recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 287 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Micaela
Micaela is a feminine given name with origins in the Hebrew language. It is a variant of the name Michael, which means "who is like God?" in Hebrew. The earliest known use of the name Micaela dates back to the 13th century in Italy.
In the 16th century, the name gained popularity in Spain and other parts of the Spanish-speaking world. It was also used in Portugal and Portuguese-speaking regions during this time period. The name is thought to have spread through the influence of the Roman Catholic Church and the veneration of the Archangel Michael.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Micaela is found in the 16th-century Spanish novel "La Celestina" by Fernando de Rojas. The name was also mentioned in various religious texts and records from the time, reflecting its association with the Archangel Michael.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Micaela. One of the earliest was Micaela Almonacid y Riquelme (1528-1595), a Spanish-born Roman Catholic nun and the founder of the Order of the Immaculate Conception. Another historical figure was Micaela Bastidas (1744-1789), a Venezuelan patriot who played a significant role in the independence movement of her country.
In the 19th century, Micaela Villegas (1843-1898) was a Mexican poet and writer known for her contributions to the Romantic literary movement. Micaela Ferrer (1847-1935) was a Cuban revolutionary and feminist activist who fought for women's rights and Cuban independence from Spain.
More recently, Micaela Portilla (1888-1976) was a renowned Spanish actress and singer who performed in various theater productions and films during the early 20th century. These are just a few examples of notable historical figures who have carried the name Micaela.
People
Micaela + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Micaela 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
Micaela: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Micaela?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 13,436 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Micaela 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 25,510 US residents.
Is Micaela a common name?
We classify Micaela as "Uncommon". It ranks above 98.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 14,809 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Micaela most popular?
The single biggest year for Micaela was 1995, when 585 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Micaela is about 27 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Micaela a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Micaela in the SSA data are female. 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.