2000
#1,539
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 21,487
First available Census row
Per 100,000 7.97
Uncommon Last name
Michel
A French occupational surname referring to one who is like God or godly.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 29,475 Americans carry the last name Michel. That puts it at #1,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 8.60 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 11,629 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Michel 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Michel with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
29K
1 in 11,629
Census rank
#1,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
8.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
26K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 25,704 bearers of the surname Michel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 8.60 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Michel, the largest self-reported group is White at 46.8%. The next largest groups are Black (26.2%) and Hispanic (23.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Michel
Among Census respondents with the surname Michel, the largest self-reported group is White at 46.8%. The next largest groups are Black (26.2%) and Hispanic (23.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Michel 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 Michel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White46.8% · 12,023
- Black or African American26.2% · 6,729
- Hispanic or Latino23.5% · 6,037
- Two or more races2.4% · 624
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 147
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 144
Timeline
Historical Census data for Michel
Michel 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
#1,383
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 25,578
+4,091 bearers (+19.0%)
Per 100,000 8.67
Rank movement Up 156 places
2020
#1,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 25,704
+126 bearers (+0.5%)
Per 100,000 8.60
Rank movement Up 44 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,539 | 21,487 | 7.97 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,383 | 25,578 | 8.67 | +4,091 bearers (+19.0%) | Up 156 places |
| 2020 | #1,339 | 25,704 | 8.60 | +126 bearers (+0.5%) | Up 44 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 Michel 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 | #1,383 | #1,339 | 3.2% |
| Count | 25,578 | 25,704 | 0.5% |
| Per 100K | 8.67 | 8.60 | -0.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Michel bearers went from 25,578 to 25,704 (+0.5% change). The surname moved up 44 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,383 to #1,339.
FAQ
Michel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Michel?
Name Census estimates that about 29,475 living Americans carry the surname Michel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 11,629 residents.
How common is Michel?
Michel ranks #1,339 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 8.60 per 100,000 residents, which is about 9 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 25,704 people with the surname Michel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (29,475), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 8.6 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 8.60 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 9 of them to have the surname Michel.
Has Michel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Michel went from 25,578 recorded bearers to 25,704. That is an increase of 126 (+0.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #1,383 to #1,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Michel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Michel, the largest self-reported group is White at 46.8%. The next largest groups are Black (26.2%) and Hispanic (23.5%). 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 Michel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 46.8% (12,023 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Michel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (46.8%), Black (26.2%), Hispanic (23.5%). 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 Michel (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 Michel mean?
A French occupational surname referring to one who is like God or godly. 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 Michel (8.60 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 Americans have the surname Michel?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.