2000
#9,597
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.15
Rare Last name
Michaelis
From the Hebrew name Michael, meaning "Who is like God?" or "Gift from God."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,565 Americans carry the last name Michaelis. That puts it at #9,911 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 96,144 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Michaelis surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
3.6K
1 in 96,144
Census rank
#9,911
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,109 bearers of the surname Michaelis in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9911th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Michaelis, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Michaelis
Among Census respondents with the surname Michaelis, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Michaelis bearers 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 surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Michaelis surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.6% · 2,847
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 119
- Two or more races2.7% · 84
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 38
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 14
- Black or African American0.2% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Michaelis
Michaelis appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#10,006
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,222
+114 bearers (+3.7%)
Per 100,000 1.09
Rank movement Down 409 places
2020
#9,911
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,109
-113 bearers (-3.5%)
Per 100,000 1.04
Rank movement Up 95 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,597 | 3,108 | 1.15 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,006 | 3,222 | 1.09 | +114 bearers (+3.7%) | Down 409 places |
| 2020 | #9,911 | 3,109 | 1.04 | -113 bearers (-3.5%) | Up 95 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Michaelis surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #10,006 | #9,911 | 0.9% |
| Count | 3,222 | 3,109 | -3.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.09 | 1.04 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Michaelis bearers went from 3,222 to 3,109 (-3.5% change). The surname moved up 95 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,006 to #9,911.
FAQ
Michaelis surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Michaelis?
Name Census estimates that about 3,565 living Americans carry the surname Michaelis. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 96,144 residents.
How common is Michaelis?
Michaelis ranks #9,911 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,109 people with the surname Michaelis. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,565), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Michaelis.
Has Michaelis become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Michaelis went from 3,222 recorded bearers to 3,109. That is a decrease of 113 (-3.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #10,006 to #9,911.
What does the Census say about the background of Michaelis?
Among Census respondents with the surname Michaelis, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Michaelis in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.6% (2,847 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Michaelis appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.6%), Hispanic (3.8%), Two or More Races (2.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Michaelis (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Michaelis mean?
From the Hebrew name Michael, meaning "Who is like God?" or "Gift from God." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Michaelis (1.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Michaelis?
See how many people are called Michaelis on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.