Find out how popular the last name Michaelis is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Michaelis.

Michaelis, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Michaelis surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Michaelis in America

Michaelis is the 10006th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Michaelis surname appeared 3,222 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Michaelis.

We can also compare 2010 data for Michaelis to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Michaelis

The surname Michaelis originated in Germany during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Hebrew name "Michael," meaning "who is like God." The name was initially adopted as a personal name by Christians and later transformed into a family name.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the Michaelis name was prevalent in various regions of Germany, including Bavaria, Saxony, and the Rhineland. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in local records and chronicles from this period.

The Michaelis surname has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was Johannes Michaelis, a German theologian and orientalist born in 1624. He made significant contributions to the study of Biblical languages and the interpretation of the Old Testament.

Another prominent figure was Christian Michaelis, a German lawyer and politician born in 1770. He served as a member of the Prussian National Assembly and played a crucial role in the development of constitutional law in Prussia.

In the realm of science, Gustav Adolf Michaelis, a German chemist born in 1856, is remembered for his contributions to the study of enzyme kinetics and the development of the Michaelis-Menten equation, which describes the rate of enzyme-catalyzed reactions.

The Michaelis name also gained recognition in the field of literature. One notable example is Karin Michaelis, a Danish writer born in 1872. She is best known for her novel "The Dangerous Age," which explored themes of feminism and societal expectations for women.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, the Michaelis surname was associated with several place names in Germany. For instance, the village of Michaelisau in Bavaria was named after a Benedictine monastery dedicated to St. Michael, suggesting a connection between the surname and religious institutions.

While the Michaelis surname has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and immigration. However, its historical origins and significance remain deeply rooted in the medieval German-speaking regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Michaelis

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Michaelis.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Michaelis was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Michaelis has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

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

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

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