Michelangelo
A masculine Italian name of uncertain origin, potentially meaning "who is like God?".
Name Census estimates that about 1,288 living Americans carry the first name Michelangelo. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Michelangelo today is around 20 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Michelangelo births was 2015 (76 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Michelangelo. 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
1.3K
~ 1 in 266,114 Americans
Peak year
2015
76 babies that year
Average age
20
years old
2024 SSA rank
#2,535
Tracked since 1961
Popularity
Michelangelo: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Michelangelo from the 1960s through to the 2020s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 486 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Michelangelo remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Michelangelo 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 Michelangelo during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Michelangelos live
The SSA's state-level files cover 6 states and territories. California, Texas, Florida recorded the most babies named Michelangelo, while Pennsylvania, Illinois, New York recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 76 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Michelangelo
The name Michelangelo has its origins in the Italian Renaissance period, deriving from the combination of the Italian names Michele and Angelo. Michele is derived from the Hebrew name Michael, meaning "who is like God". Angelo, on the other hand, comes from the Greek word "angelos", which means "messenger" or "angel".
This name gained widespread recognition and popularity due to the renowned artist and sculptor Michelangelo Buonarroti, born in 1475 in the Republic of Florence. He is considered one of the greatest artists of the Italian Renaissance, renowned for his masterpieces such as the frescoes in the Sistine Chapel and the iconic sculpture of David.
While Michelangelo Buonarroti is undoubtedly the most famous bearer of this name, there have been other notable individuals throughout history who have carried it. One such figure is Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, an Italian painter active in the late 16th and early 17th centuries, known for his revolutionary use of chiaroscuro and his depictions of biblical scenes.
Michelangelo Antonioni, an Italian film director born in 1912, is another prominent figure associated with this name. He is celebrated for his contributions to the Italian Neorealist movement and his influential works such as "L'Avventura" and "Blow-Up".
In the realm of literature, Michelangelo Buonarroti the Younger, born in 1568, was a noted poet and the nephew of the renowned artist Michelangelo Buonarroti. He is remembered for his poetic works that celebrated the life and art of his famous uncle.
Lastly, Michelangelo Pistoletto, born in 1933, is an Italian artist and prominent figure in the Arte Povera movement. He is known for his innovative use of everyday materials and his exploration of the relationship between art and society.
While the name Michelangelo may have its roots in the Italian Renaissance, its enduring legacy and influence have transcended centuries, with notable individuals from various fields carrying this name and contributing to the cultural richness of the world.
People
Michelangelo + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Michelangelo 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
Michelangelo: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Michelangelo?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,288 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Michelangelo 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 266,114 US residents.
Is Michelangelo a common name?
We classify Michelangelo as "Rare". It ranks above 91.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,316 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Michelangelo most popular?
The single biggest year for Michelangelo was 2015, when 76 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Michelangelo is about 20 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Michelangelo a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Michelangelo 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.