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Michel Family History

Michel Name Meaning

French Walloon German Dutch West Indian (mainly Haiti) Seychellois and Mauritian: from the personal name Michel (see Michael ). Basque: Castilianized form of Mitxel from the personal name Mitxel an equivalent of Michael . Polish: from a variant of the personal name Michał (see Michael ). Germanized form of Sorbian Michał Czech and Slovak Michal ‘Michael’. English and Scottish: variant of Mitchell . American shortened form of Greek patronymics from the personal name Michael e.g. Michelakis Michelakakis or Michelakos.

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


Similar surnames: Michael, Mickel, Michels, Michl, Mich, Michal, Micheli, Richel

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Michel family from?

You can see how Michel families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Michel family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Michel families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 115 Michel families living in London. This was about 35% of all the recorded Michel's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Michel families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Michel surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Michel ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Cook Hotel and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Michel. 34% of Michel men worked as a Cook Hotel and 78% of Michel women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Michel were Manufacturer (toilet and Domestic Servant. .

View Census Data for Michel | 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

  • Cook Hotel
    34%
  • Sack Worker Sorter grader
    34%
  • Manufacturer (toilet
    34%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    78%
  • Private Means
    8%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    5%
  • Domestic Servant
    5%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Michel family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 100,000 census records available for the last name Michel. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Michel census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Michel

Passenger Lists

There are 32,000 immigration records available for the last name Michel. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Michel immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 25,000 military records available for the last name Michel. For the veterans among your Michel ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Michel military records

You've only scratched the surface of Michel family history

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What is the average Michel lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Michel life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1955, and highest in 1990. The average life expectancy for Michel in 1940 was 49, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Michel

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