Michella
A feminine variant of Michael, of Hebrew origin meaning "who is like God?".
Name Census estimates that about 992 living Americans carry the first name Michella. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Michella today is around 44 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Michella births was 1990 (42 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Michella. 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
992
~ 1 in 345,518 Americans
Peak year
1990
42 babies that year
Average age
44
years old
2020 SSA rank
#14,532
Tracked since 1948
Popularity
Michella: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Michella from the 1940s through to the 2020s, spanning 9 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 279 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1970s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Michella 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 Michella during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Michellas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 5 states and territories. California, Michigan, Ohio recorded the most babies named Michella, while Texas, Indiana, Ohio recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 11 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Michella
The name Michella is a feminine form of the name Michael, which has its origins in the Hebrew name מִיכָאֵל (Mikha'el). It is derived from the Hebrew words מי כמו אל (mi kamo el), which translate to "Who is like God?". The name Michael was initially used in the Bible to refer to one of the archangels, and it gained popularity among Christians and Jews alike.
The name Michella emerged as a variant spelling in several European languages, including Italian, Spanish, and French. In Italian, the name is spelled Michela, while in Spanish and French, it is spelled Michella. The earliest recorded use of the name Michella dates back to the late Middle Ages, although it was not as widespread as its masculine counterpart, Michael.
One of the earliest known historical figures with the name Michella was Michella de Rouvray, a French noblewoman who lived in the 14th century. She was the wife of Jean de Rouvray, a prominent knight during the Hundred Years' War between England and France.
In the 16th century, Michella de la Vega was a Spanish poet and writer who gained recognition for her works during the Golden Age of Spanish literature. She was born in Seville in 1550 and passed away in 1620.
During the 17th century, Michella Gozzadini was an Italian painter and engraver who was born in Bologna in 1624. She is known for her religious paintings and engravings, many of which can be found in churches and galleries throughout Italy.
In the 18th century, Michella Ferrero was an Italian mathematician and philosopher who made significant contributions to the fields of calculus and natural philosophy. She was born in Turin in 1728 and died in 1799.
Another notable figure with the name Michella was Michella Caetani, an Italian noblewoman and philanthropist who lived in the 19th century. She was born in Rome in 1824 and devoted her life to charitable causes, establishing several schools and hospitals for the underprivileged.
While the name Michella has its roots in ancient Hebrew and gained popularity in various European cultures, it has maintained a more niche presence throughout history compared to its masculine counterpart, Michael. However, it continues to be used as a feminine variant, carrying with it the essence of the original Hebrew meaning, "Who is like God?".
People
Michella + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Michella 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
Michella: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Michella?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 992 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Michella 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 345,518 US residents.
Is Michella a common name?
We classify Michella as "Very Rare". It ranks above 90.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,098 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Michella most popular?
The single biggest year for Michella was 1990, when 42 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Michella is about 44 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Michella a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Michella 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.