Michelle (name) explained

Michelle
Gender:Female
Meaning:"Who is like God?"
Language origin:Hebrew via French and English
Derived:Michèle
Shortform:Chelle, Elle,[1] Ellie, Elly, Shelley, Shelly
Variant:Michele, Michaela, Micaela, Michalina[2]
Related Names:Michael, Michaela, Michel, Ellie, Mitchell

Michelle is a given name, originally a variant of Michèle, the French feminine form of Michel, derived from the Hebrew name Michael meaning "Who is like God?".[3] The usual Latin feminine form of the name was Michaela, with Michael the vernacular form for both men and women. The name was given in reference to the archangel Michael, a saint of the Roman Catholic Church. The usual French feminine form of the name was Micheline. The name Michelle was rare until the 20th century. It became a popular name in France and later throughout the Anglosphere after 1930, popularized by French-born film actress Michèle Morgan, who was born Simone Roussel. The name was further popularized by the 1965 hit Beatles song Michelle. The name peaked in usage for American girls in 1968, when it was among the five most popular names for newborn girls. The name has since declined in popularity but remains in regular use in English-speaking as well as French-speaking countries.[3] [4] [5]

It is also a surname.

Variants and cognates

Notable people named Michelle

As given name

A–G

H–M

O–Y

As stage name

As surname

Fictional characters

See also

Notes and References

  1. Book: Hanks . P. . Hodges . F. . A Dictionary of First Names . Oxford University Press . Oxford paperback reference . 1996 . 978-0-19-280050-3 . 836.
  2. Book: Hanks . P. . Hodges . F. . A Dictionary of First Names . Oxford University Press . Oxford paperback reference . 1996 . 978-0-19-280050-3 . 3262.
  3. Book: Hanks . P. . Hodges . F. . A Dictionary of First Names . Oxford University Press . Oxford paperback reference . 1996 . 978-0-19-280050-3 . 3267.
  4. Web site: Derry Girls-inspired baby names gain popularity across UK and Ireland . Campbell . Niamh . 20 April 2022 . belfasttelegraph.co.uk . Belfast Telegraph . 23 May 2022 .
  5. Web site: Cleveland Evans: Beatles song accelerates Michelle's boom . Evans . Cleveland Kent . 17 January 2021 . omaha.com . Omaha World Herald . 20 January 2024 .

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