Michai
A masculine name derived from the Hebrew name Michael meaning "who is like God?"
Name Census estimates that about 320 living Americans carry the first name Michai. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Michai today is around 14 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Michai births was 2010 (24 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Michai. 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
320
~ 1 in 1,071,107 Americans
Peak year
2010
24 babies that year
Average age
14
years old
2024 SSA rank
#9,542
Tracked since 2001
Popularity
Michai: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Michai from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 154 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Michai remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Michai 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 Michai 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 Michai
The name Michai has its origins in the ancient Hebrew language and culture. It is derived from the Hebrew word "michayahu," which means "who is like God." This name was commonly used in biblical times and has appeared in several religious texts and historical records.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Michai can be found in the Old Testament of the Bible. In the Book of Nehemiah, there is a mention of a man named Michai, who was one of the leaders of the Jewish community in Jerusalem during the time of the Persian Empire, around the 5th century BCE.
Another notable figure with the name Michai was a 12th-century Jewish philosopher and scholar from Spain, known as Michai ben Gershon. He is best known for his work on Jewish law and philosophy, and his commentaries on the Bible.
In the 16th century, there was a renowned Italian Renaissance painter named Michai Merisi, better known as Caravaggio. He was born in 1571 and is considered one of the most influential artists of the Baroque period, known for his innovative use of light and shadows in his paintings.
During the 19th century, a Russian writer and philosopher named Michai Bakunin lived from 1814 to 1876. He is regarded as one of the most influential figures in the anarchist movement and was a prominent activist during the revolutionary uprisings in Europe.
Another notable figure with the name Michai was Michai Prishvin, a Russian writer and naturalist who lived from 1873 to 1954. He is best known for his nature-themed stories and novels, which celebrated the beauty of the Russian countryside and the importance of preserving the natural environment.
Despite its ancient origins, the name Michai has continued to be used throughout history in various cultures and regions, with each instance contributing to its rich legacy and meaning.
People
Michai + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Michai 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
Michai: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Michai?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 320 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Michai 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 1,071,107 US residents.
Is Michai a common name?
We classify Michai as "Very Rare". It ranks above 79.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 323 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Michai most popular?
The single biggest year for Michai was 2010, when 24 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Michai is about 14 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Michai a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Michai 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.