Miguel first name popularity, history and meaning

Find out how popular the first name Miguel has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Meaning of Miguel

A masculine Spanish name derived from the Hebrew name Michael, meaning "who is like God".

Popularity of Miguel by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Miguel is more commonly used as a male name, with approximately 99% of people named Miguel being male.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 1,883 male babies and 5 female babies born with the name Miguel.

Yes—according to the SSA data, 5 baby girls were named Miguel in 2023, despite it being a predominantly male name. We'd love to know why!

Year Male Count Female Count
2023 1,883 5
2022 2,028 0
2021 1,948 0
2020 2,053 0
2019 2,183 5
2018 2,185 0
2017 2,279 0
2016 2,504 5
2015 2,572 0
2014 2,756 0
2013 2,888 6
2012 2,941 0
2011 3,169 0
2010 3,455 7
2009 4,171 0
2008 4,449 18
2007 4,904 8
2006 4,902 7
2005 4,676 12
2004 4,523 14
2003 4,591 10
2002 4,644 17
2001 4,558 15
2000 4,672 20
1999 4,207 16
1998 4,256 17
1997 4,234 14
1996 4,160 24
1995 3,953 30
1994 4,033 31
1993 4,347 34
1992 4,175 41
1991 3,945 31
1990 3,698 37
1989 3,081 23
1988 2,732 25
1987 2,637 34
1986 2,578 18
1985 2,525 30
1984 2,419 35
1983 2,380 33
1982 2,633 23
1981 2,399 17
1980 2,177 30
1979 1,962 21
1978 1,828 29
1977 1,755 16
1976 1,758 21
1975 1,656 15
1974 1,658 7

The history of the first name Miguel

The name Miguel is of Spanish origin and derives from the Hebrew name Michael, which means "who is like God?" The name Miguel first emerged during the medieval period in Spain and Portugal. It has roots in the Aramaic name Mikha'el and the Hebrew name Miykah'el.

Miguel was a popular name among early Christians and Jews, as it was the name of the archangel Michael, who is mentioned in the Bible, the Quran, and other religious texts. In the Book of Daniel, Michael is referred to as a protector of Israel. The name was also associated with the military leader Michael the Archangel, who led the army of God against Satan.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Miguel in historical records dates back to the 12th century. Miguel Arias, a Spanish nobleman and knight, was born around 1150 and served under King Alfonso VIII of Castile. Another notable figure from this era was Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616), the renowned Spanish author best known for his novel Don Quixote.

During the Age of Exploration in the 15th and 16th centuries, the name Miguel became more widespread as Spanish explorers and conquistadors brought it to the Americas. One of the most famous bearers of the name was Miguel López de Legazpi (1502-1572), a Spanish navigator and explorer who led the expedition that established the first permanent Spanish settlement in the Philippines.

In the realm of art and literature, Miguel de Unamuno (1864-1936) was a prominent Spanish philosopher, essayist, and novelist who played a significant role in the Spanish literary renaissance. Another well-known figure was Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla (1753-1811), a Mexican Catholic priest and a leader of the Mexican War of Independence.

Other notable individuals with the name Miguel throughout history include Miguel de la Madrid (1934-2012), a Mexican politician who served as the President of Mexico from 1982 to 1988, and Miguel Ángel Asturias (1899-1974), a Guatemalan writer and diplomat who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1967.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Miguel was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Miguel, please contact us.

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Miguel first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on October 31, 2024. http://namecensus.com/first-names/miguel-meaning-and-history/.

"Miguel first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/first-names/miguel-meaning-and-history/. Accessed 31 October, 2024

Miguel first name popularity, history and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/first-names/miguel-meaning-and-history/.

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