The name Michal is a Hebrew name with biblical origins. It is derived from the Hebrew words "mi" meaning "who" and "kal" meaning "is like". The name can be translated to mean "who is like God" or "one who resembles God".

In the Hebrew Bible, Michal was the younger daughter of King Saul and the wife of David. She is first mentioned in 1 Samuel 14:49, where her name is listed among the members of Saul's family. The biblical account portrays Michal as a woman who loved David deeply and helped him escape from her father's wrath.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Michal can be found in the Dead Sea Scrolls, a collection of ancient Jewish manuscripts dating back to the 3rd century BCE. The name is also mentioned in the Talmud, a central text of Rabbinic Judaism compiled between the 3rd and 6th centuries CE.

Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Michal. One of the most famous was Michal, the daughter of King Saul, who lived around the 11th century BCE. Another notable Michal was Michal Sędek, a Polish Roman Catholic priest and martyr who was executed by the Nazis in 1942 for his involvement in the Polish resistance during World War II.

In the arts, Michal is the name of a character in the opera "Samson and Delilah" by Camille Saint-Saëns, which premiered in 1877. The name also appears in literature, such as in the novel "The Chosen" by Chaim Potok, published in 1967, where Michal is the daughter of a Hasidic rabbi.

Other notable figures with the name Michal include Michal Kalecki, a Polish economist who made significant contributions to the field of macroeconomics (1899-1970), and Michal Rovner, an Israeli multimedia artist known for her video installations and sculptures (born 1957).