Mickel
A Scandinavian name originating as a diminutive form of Michael.
Name Census estimates that about 1,688 living Americans carry the first name Mickel. It is a predominantly male name (97.7% of registrations). The average person named Mickel today is around 49 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Mickel births was 1957 (54 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Mickel. 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
1.7K
~ 1 in 203,054 Americans
Peak year
1957
54 babies that year
Average age
49
years old
2023 SSA rank
#10,416
Tracked since 1914
Gender
Gender distribution for Mickel
Mickel leans heavily male at 97.7% of total registrations, but 47 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Mickel as a male name
- Ranked #10,416 in 2023
- 7 male births in 2023
- Peak: 1957 (54 births)
Mickel as a female name
- Ranked #14,402 in 2000
- 6 female births in 2000
- Peak: 1977 (8 births)
Popularity
Mickel: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Mickel from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 12 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1950s, with 448 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1950s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Mickel 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 Mickel during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Mickels live
The SSA's state-level files cover 12 states and territories. California, Texas, New York recorded the most babies named Mickel, while Tennessee, Oklahoma, Kentucky recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 13 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Mickel
The name Mickel is derived from the Hebrew name Michael, which means "who is like God?" It has its roots in the ancient Hebrew culture and can be traced back to biblical times. The earliest recorded instance of the name Michael appears in the Book of Numbers from the Hebrew Bible, referring to one of the archangels.
The name Michael gained widespread popularity during the Middle Ages across Europe, particularly in England, Scotland, and Ireland. It was often anglicized as Mickel, Mikhel, or Mykhail, reflecting regional variations in spelling and pronunciation. These variations emerged due to the influence of other languages and dialects.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Mickel was Mickel of Northgate, an English merchant who lived in the 13th century. He is mentioned in historical records from the city of York, where he was a prominent figure in the local trade guild.
In the 14th century, Mickel Flemyng was a Scottish scholar and philosopher who studied at the University of Paris. He is known for his contributions to the fields of logic and metaphysics during the medieval period.
During the Renaissance, Mickel Angelus, an Italian artist and sculptor, gained fame for his intricate woodcarvings and religious art. He was active in the early 16th century and is known for his works adorning churches and cathedrals across Italy.
In the 17th century, Mickel van der Merwe was a Dutch explorer and navigator who embarked on several voyages to the East Indies. His detailed logs and maps were instrumental in expanding the Dutch colonial presence in the region.
Towards the end of the 18th century, Mickel O'Flaherty was an Irish revolutionary and political activist who played a significant role in the Irish Rebellion of 1798. He advocated for Irish independence and was eventually captured and executed by British forces.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who bore the name Mickel. While the name has its origins in Hebrew and Judeo-Christian traditions, it has been adopted and adapted by various cultures and societies over the centuries.
People
Mickel + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Mickel 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
Mickel: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Mickel?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,688 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Mickel 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 203,054 US residents.
Is Mickel a common name?
We classify Mickel as "Rare". It ranks above 93% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 2,002 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Mickel most popular?
The single biggest year for Mickel was 1957, when 54 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Mickel is about 49 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Mickel a male name?
Yes, 97.7% of people registered as Mickel 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.