Michael ( /ˈmaɪkəl/), also occasionally Micheal, is a given name that comes from the Hebrew: מִיכָאֵל / מיכאל (Mikha'el), derived from the question מי כאל (mi k'ʔel) meaning "Who is like God?" In English, it is sometimes shortened to Mike, Mikey, Mickey, or Mick.
Female forms of Michael include Michèle, Michelle, Michaela, Mechelle, Micheline, and Michaelle, although Michael is occasionally seen as a female name, with women named Michael including actresses Michael Learned and Michael Michele. Another form is Mychal, which can either be a male or female name.
Surnames that come from Michael include Carmichael, Dimichele, MacMichael, McMichael, Micallef, Michaelson, Mikkelsen, Mikhaylov, Mykhaylenko, Michaels and Mitchell.
Read more about Michael: Etymology, Popularity, Short Form and Other Versions
Famous quotes containing the word michael:
“Nothing has caused the human race so much trouble as intelligence.”
—John Michael Hayes (b. 1919)
“Being a parent is a form of leadership. . . . Parents make a mistake, along with leaders of organizations, when they are unwilling to recognize the power inherent in the positions they occupy and when they are unwilling to use this power. . . . I do not mean a figure who is irrational, autocratic, or sadistic. I mean leaders who have the strength of character to stand up for what they believe.”
—Abraham Zaleznik. In Support of Families, ed. Michael W. Yogman and T. Berry Brazelton, ch. 8 (1986)
“I believe in Michael Angelo, Velasquez, and Rembrandt; in the might of design, the mystery of color, the redemption of all things by Beauty everlasting, and the message of Art that has made these hands blessed.”
—George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950)