Michael

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This article is about the given name. For other uses, see Michael (disambiguation).

Michael
Given Name
Pronunciation /maɪkəl/
Gender Male
Meaning "Who is like God?"[1]
Origin Hebrew: מִיכָאֵל / מיכאל‎ (mee-KHA-el)
Nicknames Mike, Mick, Mikey, Mickey, Mickie, Mic, Mischka
Wikipedia articles All pages beginning with Michael
Look up Michael in
Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Michael or Micha'el is a given name that comes from Hebrew: מִיכָאֵל / מיכאל‎ (mee-KHA-el), meaning "Who is like God?"[1] There are various forms of the name: Arabic: ميخائيل / ميكال‎‎; Estonian: Mihkel; Latin: Michael; Hungarian: Mihály; Septuagint Greek: Μιχαηλ (Mikhaēl); Portuguese or Spanish: Miguel; Swedish: Mikael; Turkish: Mikail; Irish: Micheál; Russian: Михаил (Mikha'il); Hebrew: מיכאל (Mikha'el); Gaelic: Michiel; Italian: Michele; Dutch: Michiel; Armenian: Միքայել (Mikayel); Catalan: Miquel; French: Michel; Polish: Michał; Bulgarian and Macedonian: Михаил (Mihail); Romanian: Mihai; Serbian: Михајло (Mihajlo).

The name first appears in the Bible, Numbers 13 verse 13, where Sethur the son of Michael is one of twelve spies sent into the Land of Canaan. The Archangel Michael, referred to later in the Bible (Daniel 12 verse 1), is considered a saint by the Roman Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodox Church. 29 September is the feast day of the three archangels, Michael, Gabriel and Raphael.

In English it is sometimes shortened to Mike, Mikey, or, especially in Ireland, Mick. Female forms of Michael include Michelle, Michaela, Mechelle, Micheline, and Michaelle, although there are women with the name Michael, such as Michael Learned.

Surnames that come from Michael include Carmichael, Dimichele, MacMichael, McMichael, Micallef, Michaelson, Mikhaylov and Mitchell.

Contents

[edit] Rulers named "Michael"

[edit] Byzantine emperors

[edit] Russian rulers

[edit] King of Poland

  • Michał Korybutt Wiśniowiecki

[edit] King of Portugal

[edit] Rulers of Romania

[edit] British Royal Family

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b "Michael" A Dictionary of the Bible. W. R. F. Browning. Oxford University Press, 1997. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. Duke University. 9 May 2007 <http://www.oxfordreference.com/views/ENTRY.html?subview=Main&entry=t94.e1250>