Michael Family History

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) also reflect the widespread influence of the name. Compare Mikeal.