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Michael Name Popularity

    

Charts | Table | About | By Year

How popular is Michael?

In 2018 the very popular name Michael, ranked the 14th Most Popular Boys Name in the United States.

Presently one of the top 50 most popular, Michael has been a top 100 placer since the Social Security Administration began keeping records in 1880.

It reached its highest popularity ranking of #1 for the first time in 1954 and as recently as 1998.

The name was bestowed upon the greatest number of babies in 1957 with 92,704 occurrences.

In any year, the least number of babies named Michael was 298 in 1881.

Decidely upward trends in the number of babies given the name Michael occurred roughly during the years 1885-1888, 1909-1915, and 1931-1954, whereas unequivocal downward movement occurred about 1968-1973, and 1988-2017.

Michael's popularity has been spiralling downward for some time. Of late, continuing the trend, the number of parents selecting the name Michael for their newborn has dropped.

What does the future hold for the popularity of Michael?

Overall, when compared to its most prominent year, the name's popularity is at a very low point.

The name Michael is a huge favorite but will probably continue to drift downward in popularity.

*Mouse over the charts or scroll down to the table for data details.

 
Mouse over or Click for Percentages.
   Michael (Girl)Michael (Boy)
Year %No. of Babies Given NamePopul. RankNo. of Babies Given NamePopul. Rank
2018 20 6,141 11,620 14
2017 34 4,275 12,639 12
2016 34 4,306 14,088 8
2015 36 4,112 14,431 9
2014 35 4,230 15,454 7
2013 39 3,887 15,497 7
2012 27 5,194 16,169 7
2011 36 4,121 16,795 6
2010 37 4,081 17,350 3
2009 45 3,596 18,940 3
2008 55 3,109 20,626 2
2007 51 3,313 21,992 2
2006 64 2,769 22,637 2
2005 61 2,746 23,815 2
2004 148 1,409 25,458 2
2003 94 1,942 27,121 2
2002 95 1,883 28,245 2
2001 96 1,846 29,683 2
2000 114 1,568 32,037 2
1999 123 1,428 33,912 2
1998 128 1,360 36,615 1
1997 142 1,257 37,549 1
1996 157 1,161 38,364 1
1995 167 1,072 41,402 1
1994 192 971 44,469 1
1993 223 871 49,549 1
1992 258 789 54,392 1
1991 267 772 60,785 1
1990 278 747 65,290 1
1989 363 595 65,389 1
1988 480 473 64,143 1
1987 544 410 63,655 1
1986 590 392 64,208 1
1985 531 419 64,912 1
1984 508 420 67,741 1
1983 577 385 68,000 1
1982 576 403 68,235 1
1981 487 440 68,763 1
1980 546 409 68,696 1
1979 553 396 67,739 1
1978 545 384 67,158 1
1977 560 378 67,616 1
1976 515 398 66,954 1
1975 557 373 68,454 1
1974 526 392 67,578 1
1973 451 431 67,847 1
1972 452 430 71,405 1
1971 459 449 77,594 1
1970 457 461 85,302 1
1969 457 449 85,203 1
1968 473 439 82,008 1
1967 373 496 82,436 1
1966 346 510 79,990 1
1965 355 504 81,021 1
1964 302 566 82,646 1
1963 377 501 83,782 1
1962 354 521 85,034 1
1961 325 546 86,917 1
1960 318 545 84,180 2
1959 285 587 85,251 1
1958 295 575 90,517 1
1957 255 612 92,704 1
1956 240 619 90,656 1
1955 251 578 88,327 1
1954 216 619 88,528 1
1953 233 581 84,226 3
1952 190 646 79,049 4
1951 172 669 72,797 4
1950 179 642 65,144 4
1949 188 602 60,046 5
1948 170 637 52,564 6
1947 173 635 50,501 7
1946 169 611 41,181 7
1945 158 583 29,899 9
1944 168 563 26,720 9
1943 187 553 24,743 10
1942 157 593 21,726 13
1941 97 717 15,931 16
1940 80 793 13,228 18
1939 81 764 10,824 18
1938 58 941 9,080 21
1937 47 1,041 7,095 27
1936 40 1,128 5,801 33
1935 32 1,296 4,907 41
1934 20 1,751 4,106 47
1933 26 1,461 3,545 53
1932 20 1,796 3,610 54
1931 24 1,582 3,489 55
1930 36 1,267 3,545 54
1929 33 1,326 3,465 54
1928 33 1,360 3,597 53
1927 29 1,546 3,607 52
1926 32 1,435 3,486 56
1925 34 1,399 3,760 55
1924 36 1,377 3,873 54
1923 29 1,548 3,914 50
1922 31 1,495 3,991 48
1921 24 1,806 4,198 47
1920 22 1,868 4,003 50
1919 24 1,683 3,910 46
1918 30 1,439 4,296 45
1917 12 2,656 4,289 44
1916 18 1,929 4,210 44
1915 14 2,214 4,081 43
1914 16 1,710 3,362 40
1913 12 1,852 2,607 40
1912 8 2,290 2,104 42
1911 7 2,116 1,159 38
1910 9 1,721 844 45
1909 7 1,900 635 47
1908 < 5 -- 688 44
1907 < 5 -- 586 48
1906 5 2,135 531 46
1905 < 5 -- 513 45
1904 < 5 -- 462 50
1903 < 5 -- 466 47
1902 < 5 -- 460 48
1901 < 5 -- 384 52
1900 < 5 -- 495 51
1899 < 5 -- 375 51
1898 < 5 -- 434 52
1897 7 1,346 368 57
1896 < 5 -- 399 53
1895 < 5 -- 413 52
1894 < 5 -- 423 51
1893 < 5 -- 407 49
1892 < 5 -- 380 59
1891 < 5 -- 333 55
1890 < 5 -- 394 48
1889 < 5 -- 377 51
1888 < 5 -- 466 46
1887 < 5 -- 345 48
1886 < 5 -- 348 53
1885 < 5 -- 370 47
1884 < 5 -- 373 51
1883 < 5 -- 307 55
1882 < 5 -- 321 57
1881 < 5 -- 298 54
1880 < 5 -- 354 46

United States name popularity data is provided by the Social Security Administration and is based on Social Security card applications.

Data for a given year is not made available until well into the next year.

Data reflects what was recorded and has not been edited for errors, so for example the gender associated with a name may be incorrect.

The more babies that are given a particular name, the higher the popularity ranking. If multiple names have the same usage, the tie is broken by assigning popularity rank in alphabetical order. Therefore in the case of names with fewer occurrences, names with the same number of occurrences may have vastly different rankings because they will be interranked alphabetically.

To safeguard privacy, the SSA does not include names with less than 5 occurrences.

Please note, we update the data each May when the SSA releases new figures. All data changes at that time, including previous years, which will change minutely based on new information.