Michelle
Say it: mi-SHELL/mɪˈʃɛl/
GirlMeans a feminine form of Michael, which means "Who is like God?"8 letters2 syllables
#304
in Ireland (2025)
#308 with spellings combined
13
babies in 2025
#2
best rank (1978)
16,106
babies since 1964
Down 109
10-year rank change
Michelle through the years
Compare with another name →Show the numbers
| Year | Babies (girls) | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 13 | #308 |
| 2024 | 13 | #310 |
| 2023 | 12 | #313 |
| 2022 | 15 | #288 |
| 2021 | 6 | #571 |
| 2020 | 16 | #265 |
| 2019 | 9 | #419 |
| 2018 | 13 | #333 |
| 2017 | 18 | #260 |
| 2016 | 22 | #217 |
| 2015 | 27 | #199 |
| 2014 | 25 | #213 |
| 2013 | 27 | #207 |
| 2012 | 38 | #151 |
| 2011 | 32 | #185 |
| 2010 | 56 | #120 |
| 2009 | 56 | #119 |
| 2008 | 68 | #100 |
| 2007 | 57 | #103 |
| 2006 | 53 | #107 |
| 2005 | 66 | #84 |
| 2004 | 57 | #94 |
| 2003 | 64 | #77 |
| 2002 | 86 | #61 |
| 2001 | 82 | #62 |
| 2000 | 92 | #48 |
| 1999 | 118 | #39 |
| 1998 | 107 | #42 |
| 1997 | 189 | #32 |
| 1996 | 245 | #23 |
| 1995 | 234 | #23 |
| 1994 | 274 | #19 |
| 1993 | 315 | #14 |
| 1992 | 360 | #15 |
| 1991 | 368 | #14 |
| 1990 | 461 | #10 |
| 1989 | 482 | #7 |
| 1988 | 501 | #8 |
| 1987 | 548 | #7 |
| 1986 | 626 | #3 |
| 1985 | 650 | #3 |
| 1984 | 608 | #6 |
| 1983 | 684 | #4 |
| 1982 | 732 | #3 |
| 1981 | 702 | #2 |
| 1980 | 649 | #3 |
| 1979 | 650 | #2 |
| 1978 | 650 | #2 |
| 1977 | 594 | #4 |
| 1976 | 571 | #4 |
| 1975 | 562 | #6 |
| 1974 | 533 | #6 |
| 1973 | 468 | #10 |
| 1972 | 444 | #12 |
| 1971 | 434 | #13 |
| 1970 | 334 | #18 |
| 1969 | 302 | #21 |
| 1968 | 244 | #26 |
| 1967 | 192 | #36 |
| 1966 | 136 | #51 |
| 1965 | 69 | #96 |
| 1964 | 47 | #114 |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies' Names (VSA50, VSA60), CC BY 4.0.
★ What does Michelle mean?
A feminine form of Michael, which means "Who is like God?"
French, a feminine form of Michel (Michael), from Hebrew.
Say it right
miSHELL
The story of Michelle
Michelle is a French feminine form of Michel, the French Michael. Michael is a Hebrew name, a question meaning “Who is like God?”, and it was spread by devotion to the Archangel Michael. The usual Latin feminine was Michaela, and Michelle began as a variant of the French Michèle.
In English Michelle became a favourite from the 1960s, helped along by the Beatles song “Michelle” in 1965.
Ireland took to it in a big way. Michelle was already given throughout the CSO records, and by the 1970s it was near the very top, reaching number 2 in 1978. Its biggest year was 1982, with 732 baby girls. More than 16,000 girls have been named Michelle since 1964, but it faded after the 1990s, and 13 were registered in 2025.
Say it differently where you're from, or spotted something wrong? Tell us.
Sources
- Wiktionary: Michelle (English proper noun)
- Wikipedia: Michelle (name)
- CSO VSA60, Girls Names in Ireland with 3 or More Occurrences
At a glance
Similar names
Sibling ideas
Nicknames
Shelly
Spellings counted here
| Spelling | 2025 | All years |
|---|---|---|
| Michelle | 13 | 16,106 |
In Northern Ireland
Not in the 2025 list. Best rank #111 (2000); 166 babies since 1997.
Source: NISRA, Open Government Licence.