Mykale
An unusual variant spelling of Michael, a name of Hebrew origin meaning "who is like God?".
Name Census estimates that about 162 living Americans carry the first name Mykale. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 82.9% of registrations being male. The average person named Mykale today is around 21 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Mykale births was 1997 (12 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Mykale. 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
162
~ 1 in 2,115,768 Americans
Peak year
1997
12 babies that year
Average age
21
years old
2017 SSA rank
#11,745
Tracked since 1989
Census
Mykale in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 185 people with the first name Mykale, which placed it at #40,305 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#40,305
National first-name rank
People counted
185
185 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.1
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Black or African American
69.2% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mykale
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Mykale is Black at 69.2%. The next largest groups are White (13.5%) and Two or More Races (10.8%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Mykale described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Mykale at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American69.2% · 128
- White13.5% · 25
- Two or more races10.8% · 20
- Hispanic or Latino5.9% · 11
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 1
Gender
Gender distribution for Mykale
Mykale leans heavily male at 82.9% of total registrations, but 28 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Mykale as a male name
- Ranked #11,745 in 2017
- 6 male births in 2017
- Peak: 2000 (10 births)
Mykale as a female name
- Ranked #18,317 in 2015
- 5 female births in 2015
- Peak: 1994 (8 births)
2020 Census snapshot
The 2020 Census sex table shows Mykale on both sides of the split. Of the 189 people counted with this name, 126 were male (66.7%) and 63 were female (33.3%).
Popularity
Mykale: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Mykale from the 1980s through to the 2010s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 73 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2000s peak, Mykale remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Mykale 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 Mykale during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Mykales live
Origin
Meaning and history of Mykale
The name Mykale has its origins in ancient Greek culture, with its roots dating back to the 5th century BCE. It is believed to be derived from the Greek word "mykalos," which means "mossy" or "verdant." This connection to nature and vegetation hints at the name's potential symbolism of growth, fertility, and abundance.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Mykale can be found in the works of the renowned Greek historian Herodotus. He mentions a mountain called Mount Mykale, located in the ancient region of Ionia (modern-day Turkey), which played a significant role in the Greco-Persian Wars.
In ancient Greek mythology, Mykale was also the name of a nymph associated with the island of Samos. This nymph was said to have been one of the companions of the goddess Artemis, further reinforcing the name's ties to nature and the natural world.
Throughout history, the name Mykale has been borne by several notable figures. One of the earliest was Mykale of Rhegium, a Greek philosopher who lived in the 5th century BCE and was a student of Pythagoras. Unfortunately, not much is known about her life and works, as many ancient texts have been lost over time.
Another significant figure with the name Mykale was a Greek sculptor who lived in the 4th century BCE. She is credited with creating several impressive sculptures, including a statue of the goddess Aphrodite that was highly praised for its beauty and artistry.
In more recent times, Mykale Masciarelli (1919-1987) was an Italian opera singer known for her powerful soprano voice. She performed in many of the world's most prestigious opera houses and was particularly acclaimed for her interpretations of roles in operas by Verdi and Puccini.
Mykale Farmer (1935-2018) was an American civil rights activist who played a crucial role in the desegregation of public schools in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1957. Her bravery and determination in the face of adversity made her a symbol of the struggle for racial equality.
Finally, Mykale Jones (born 1988) is a contemporary American basketball player who has competed in the WNBA and overseas. She is known for her versatility on the court and her ability to play multiple positions.
While the name Mykale may not be as common as some others, its rich history and connections to ancient Greek culture, mythology, and nature make it a unique and intriguing choice. The various individuals who have borne this name throughout the centuries have added to its legacy and significance.
People
Mykale + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Mykale 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
Mykale: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Mykale?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 162 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Mykale 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 2,115,768 US residents.
Is Mykale a common name?
We classify Mykale as "Very Rare". It ranks above 71.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 164 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Mykale most popular?
The single biggest year for Mykale was 1997, when 12 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Mykale is about 21 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Mykale in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 185 people with the name Mykale, or 0.06 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #40,305 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Mykale in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Mykale?
The 2020 Census sex table shows Mykale on both sides of the split. Of the 189 people counted with this name, 126 were male (66.7%) and 63 were female (33.3%). The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Mykale?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Mykale is Black at 69.2%. The next largest groups are White (13.5%) and Two or More Races (10.8%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Mykale most often in the Census?
Black is the largest reported group for people named Mykale in the 2020 Census, accounting for 69.2% (128 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Mykale in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Mykale a male name?
Yes, 82.9% of people registered as Mykale 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.
Is Mykale still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Mykale in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Mykale can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
How many people are called Mykale?
You can see how many Americans are named Mykale on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.