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

Michel, 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 Michel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Michel in America

Michel is the 1383rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Michel surname appeared 25,578 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 9 people would have the surname Michel.

We can also compare 2010 data for Michel 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 Michel

The surname Michel has its origins in France, where it emerged as a patronymic name derived from the personal name Michel, the French form of the Hebrew name Michael, meaning "who is like God?". The name was particularly prevalent in the northern regions of France, including Normandy and Brittany.

Michel is believed to have been introduced to France during the early medieval period, potentially as early as the 8th or 9th century, through the influence of the cult of St. Michael the Archangel. The name gained popularity throughout the Middle Ages and was commonly used across various social strata.

One of the earliest recorded references to the surname Michel can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners and their estates commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The entry mentions a landowner named Michel in the county of Somerset, England.

In the 12th century, the name appears in the Pipe Rolls of Henry II, which were financial records of the English Exchequer. These rolls mention individuals such as Rogerus Michel and Willelmus Michel, providing evidence of the surname's usage during that time period.

Notable individuals with the surname Michel include Jean Michel (1435-1501), a French composer and singer who served as the court composer to King Louis XI. Another notable figure was Virgil Michel (1530-1596), a French jurist and legal scholar who authored several influential works on civil law.

In the 17th century, François Michel (1624-1693), a French humanist and scholar, gained recognition for his contributions to literature and his role as a librarian at the Bibliothèque du Roi in Paris.

During the 18th century, the name was associated with several prominent figures, such as Jacques-Étienne Michel (1748-1804), a French architect who designed notable buildings in Paris, including the Chapelle Expiatoire.

In the 19th century, Émile Michel (1828-1909), a French historian and archaeologist, made significant contributions to the study of ancient Greek art and architecture. His works on the Parthenon and the Acropolis of Athens are considered seminal texts in the field.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Michel

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

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 Michel 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 Michel 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 Michel was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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