2000
#18,165
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,413
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.52
Rare Last name
Mikhail
A variant of Michael, derived from the Hebrew name Mikha'el, meaning "Who is like God?"
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,328 Americans carry the last name Mikhail. That puts it at #10,540 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.97 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 102,991 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mikhail 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 Mikhail with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.3K
1 in 102,991
Census rank
#10,540
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,902 bearers of the surname Mikhail in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.97 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10540th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mikhail, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mikhail
The surname Mikhail originated in Russia and is a variant of the name Michael, derived from the Hebrew name meaning "who is like God?" The name likely entered the Russian language through Greek influence during the early spread of Christianity in the region.
One of the earliest recorded references to the surname Mikhail can be found in the Veliky Novgorod Chronicles, which date back to the 12th century. These medieval chronicles documented important events and figures in the city of Novgorod and the surrounding areas.
The Mikhail surname is also mentioned in the Muscovite Tsardom's tax records from the 16th and 17th centuries, indicating the presence of families bearing this name during that time period. The name was particularly prevalent in the central and northern regions of Russia.
A notable figure bearing the surname Mikhail was Ivan Mikhailovich Mikhail, a Russian statesman and diplomat who lived from 1624 to 1663. He served as a boyar (member of the highest rank of the Russian nobility) and was involved in negotiations with Sweden during the Russo-Swedish War of 1656-1658.
Another individual of historical significance was Mikhail Vasilievich Lomonosov (1711-1765), a prominent Russian polymath who made significant contributions to various fields, including chemistry, physics, astronomy, and literature. He is considered one of the founders of modern Russian literature and is celebrated for his efforts in advancing the Russian language and education.
In the 19th century, Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (1804-1857) gained recognition as a Russian composer and is often regarded as the founder of the Russian national opera tradition. His works, such as the operas "A Life for the Tsar" and "Ruslan and Ludmila," were instrumental in establishing a distinct Russian musical identity.
Another notable figure was Mikhail Grigoryevich Chernov (1891-1945), a prominent leader of the Socialist-Revolutionary Party in Russia. He played a significant role in the Russian Revolution of 1917 and later served as the Minister of Agriculture in the Provisional Government.
Mikhail Nesterovich Muravyov (1896-1981) was a Soviet military commander who achieved the rank of Marshal of the Soviet Union during World War II. He played a crucial role in the Battle of Stalingrad and the subsequent German retreat, contributing to the eventual Soviet victory.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mikhail
Among Census respondents with the surname Mikhail, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Mikhail 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 Mikhail surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.7% · 2,661
- Two or more races3.4% · 99
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 98
- Black or African American0.9% · 25
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 19
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mikhail
Mikhail 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
#14,247
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,105
+692 bearers (+49.0%)
Per 100,000 0.71
Rank movement Up 3,918 places
2020
#10,540
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,902
+797 bearers (+37.9%)
Per 100,000 0.97
Rank movement Up 3,707 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #18,165 | 1,413 | 0.52 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,247 | 2,105 | 0.71 | +692 bearers (+49.0%) | Up 3,918 places |
| 2020 | #10,540 | 2,902 | 0.97 | +797 bearers (+37.9%) | Up 3,707 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 Mikhail 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 | #14,247 | #10,540 | 26.0% |
| Count | 2,105 | 2,902 | 37.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.71 | 0.97 | 36.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mikhail bearers went from 2,105 to 2,902 (+37.9% change). The surname moved up 3,707 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,247 to #10,540.
FAQ
Mikhail surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mikhail?
Name Census estimates that about 3,328 living Americans carry the surname Mikhail. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 102,991 residents.
How common is Mikhail?
Mikhail ranks #10,540 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.97 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 2,902 people with the surname Mikhail. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,328), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.97 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.97 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 Mikhail.
Has Mikhail become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mikhail went from 2,105 recorded bearers to 2,902. That is an increase of 797 (+37.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,247 to #10,540.
What does the Census say about the background of Mikhail?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mikhail, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (3.4%). 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 Mikhail in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.7% (2,661 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mikhail appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.7%), Two or More Races (3.4%), Hispanic (3.4%). 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 Mikhail (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 Mikhail mean?
A variant of Michael, derived from the Hebrew name Mikha'el, 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 Mikhail (0.97 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 are called Mikhail?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Mikhail at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.