2000
#4,696
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,901
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.56
Rare Last name
Michels
A patronymic surname derived from the given name Michael, meaning "Who is like God?".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,926 Americans carry the last name Michels. That puts it at #4,940 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.31 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 43,244 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Michels 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 Michels with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
7.9K
1 in 43,244
Census rank
#4,940
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,912 bearers of the surname Michels in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.31 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4940th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Michels, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Michels
The surname Michels is of Germanic origin, derived from the personal name Michael, which is ultimately derived from the Hebrew name Mikhael, meaning "who is like God?" The name first appeared in various parts of Germany and the Netherlands during the Middle Ages.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Michels can be traced back to the 13th century, with references found in various medieval records and manuscripts. One notable example is the mention of a Henricus Michels in the Annals of the Cistercian Abbey of Eberbach in Rheingau, Germany, dated around 1270.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in various spellings such as Michels, Michelsen, and Michaelsen, reflecting regional variations in pronunciation and spelling. During this period, the name was also associated with certain place names, such as Michelbach and Michelsbach, which likely influenced the surname's development.
One of the earliest recorded individuals bearing the name Michels was Johann Michels, a German scholar and reformer who lived from 1510 to 1559. He was a prominent figure during the Protestant Reformation and is known for his work in translating and publishing various theological texts.
Another notable figure with the surname Michels was Willem Michels (1542-1619), a Dutch painter and engraver who was active in Antwerp during the Renaissance. His works, which included religious and mythological scenes, were widely celebrated throughout the Low Countries.
In the 17th century, the name Michels gained prominence in Germany, with several individuals bearing the surname achieving notable accomplishments. One such individual was Johann Michels (1624-1668), a German composer and organist who served at various churches in Hamburg and Lübeck.
The 18th century saw the emergence of another notable figure with the surname Michels, Johann David Michels (1738-1804), a German theologian and philosopher who was a prominent figure in the Enlightenment movement. His writings on ethics, education, and theology were widely influential during his lifetime.
In the 19th century, the name Michels continued to be prominent in various fields. One notable example is the German novelist and playwright Eduard Michels (1813-1892), whose works explored themes of social and political commentary during the turbulent period of German unification.
Throughout history, the surname Michels has been associated with individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions, reflecting the widespread distribution of the name across various regions of Europe. While the examples provided are not exhaustive, they highlight the rich history and legacy of this Germanic surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Michels
Among Census respondents with the surname Michels, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Michels 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 Michels surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.8% · 6,413
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 225
- Two or more races2.5% · 170
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 45
- Black or African American0.4% · 31
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 28
Timeline
Historical Census data for Michels
Michels 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
#4,875
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,225
+324 bearers (+4.7%)
Per 100,000 2.45
Rank movement Down 179 places
2020
#4,940
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,912
-313 bearers (-4.3%)
Per 100,000 2.31
Rank movement Down 65 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,696 | 6,901 | 2.56 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,875 | 7,225 | 2.45 | +324 bearers (+4.7%) | Down 179 places |
| 2020 | #4,940 | 6,912 | 2.31 | -313 bearers (-4.3%) | Down 65 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 Michels 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 | #4,875 | #4,940 | -1.3% |
| Count | 7,225 | 6,912 | -4.3% |
| Per 100K | 2.45 | 2.31 | -5.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Michels bearers went from 7,225 to 6,912 (-4.3% change). The surname moved down 65 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,875 to #4,940.
FAQ
Michels surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Michels?
Name Census estimates that about 7,926 living Americans carry the surname Michels. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 43,244 residents.
How common is Michels?
Michels ranks #4,940 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.31 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,912 people with the surname Michels. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,926), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.31 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.31 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Michels.
Has Michels become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Michels went from 7,225 recorded bearers to 6,912. That is a decrease of 313 (-4.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,875 to #4,940.
What does the Census say about the background of Michels?
Among Census respondents with the surname Michels, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Michels in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.8% (6,413 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Michels appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.8%), Hispanic (3.3%), Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Michels (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 Michels mean?
A patronymic surname derived from the given name Michael, meaning "Who is like 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 Michels (2.31 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 common is the surname Michels?
Want to know how common the surname Michels is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.