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Michael Family History

Michael Name Meaning

English German Dutch Jewish and Greek: from the personal name Michael ultimately from Hebrew Mika’el ‘Who is like God?’. This was borne by an archangel in the Bible the protector of Israel (Daniel 10:13 11; Rev. 17). In Christian tradition Michael was regarded as the warrior archangel conqueror of Satan and the personal name was correspondingly popular throughout Europe especially in knightly and military families. In North America the English form of the surname has absorbed many cognates from other languages e.g. Hungarian Mihály (see Mihaly ) Czech and Slovak Michal Assyrian/Chaldean or Arabic Mikhael and Mikhail and also patronymics and other derivatives from these names e.g. Greek Papamichael its cognate Papamichalis and Michaelides Serbian Mihajlović (see Mihajlovic ) and Slovenian Mihelčič (see Mihelcic ). Compare Mikeal .

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Michel, Michaels, Mihal, Michal, Michl, Michaelis, Michiels, Michels

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Michael family from?

You can see how Michael families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Michael family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Michael families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 349 Michael families living in Glamorgan. This was about 23% of all the recorded Michael's in United Kingdom. Glamorgan had the highest population of Michael families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Michael surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Michael ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Michael. 8% of Michael men worked as a General Labourer and 70% of Michael women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Michael were Kitchen Porter and Unpaid Domestic. .

View Census Data for Michael | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    8%
  • Carpenter
    5%
  • Farmer
    5%
  • Kitchen Porter
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    70%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Incapacitated
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Michael family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 188,000 census records available for the last name Michael. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Michael census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Australian census records for Michael

Passenger Lists

There are 37,000 immigration records available for the last name Michael. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Australia, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Michael immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 48,000 military records available for the last name Michael. For the veterans among your Michael ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Michael lifespan?

Between 1945 and 2004, in the United States, Michael life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1948, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Michael in 1945 was 64, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Michael

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