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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 1911 there were 180 Michael families living in Ontario. This was about 38% of all the recorded Michael's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Michael families in 1911.
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 1921, Farmer and Clerk were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Michael. 49% of Michael men worked as a Farmer and 20% of Michael women worked as a Clerk. Some less common occupations for Americans named Michael were Merchant and Stenographer. .

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 1921

  • Farmer
    49%
  • Laborer
    10%
  • Labourer
    9%
  • Merchant
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Clerk
    20%
  • Servant
    20%
  • Servante
    15%
  • Stenographer
    10%
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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 Canadian 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 Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

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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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