Michail
Masculine · “A form of Michael”
Michail is the Greek and Russian form of Michael, written letter for letter in the Latin alphabet. The most famous Michail of Russia walked to Moscow as a fisherman's son and founded its university.
How old is the name Michail?
Michail first appears in US birth records in 1944 — 81 years ago. The typical Michail alive today was born around 1974, making them about 51 years old. About 500 people named Michail are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Michail most popular?
Michail peaked in 1954, reaching #2114 nationally. See the whole 1954 chart.
Lists built from the same records:
Where it comes from
From Mikha'el to Michail
The story of Michail
Greek writes the name Michail, and Russian Mikhail; Michail copies the letters across, keeping the ch that English says as k. Mikhail Lomonosov, the son of a fisherman on the White Sea, set out on foot for Moscow in winter behind a caravan carrying frozen fish, talked his way into school, and became a chemist, poet and astronomer who helped found Moscow University, which now bears his name. Michail is one of the spellings Greek and Russian American families used.
Meaning
A form of Michael, 'who is like God?'
Michael is a Hebrew question, 'who is like God?'; Michail transliterates the Greek and Russian forms.
How the name formed
- Mikha'el
- Michail
Related forms: Michail · Mikhail · Michael
Pronouncing Michail
mee-khah-EEL
In Greek three syllables with the stress on the last; many Americans say MY-kul.
Nicknames for Michail
Moderate
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1944
- Most boys named
- 197117 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #2114reached in 1954
- Change vs 2018
- +40.0%7 in 2019, from 5
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Michail in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- Michail in Greek — same name
- Mikhail in Russian — same name
- Michael in English — same name
Michails among us
people named Michail are estimated to be alive in the US today
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
Questions parents actually ask
Fashion outlook
Michail sits outside the current charts, and that is its own kind of answer: naming cycles can only date the names they carried up. A name this rare has no decade stamped on it — it cannot go out of fashion, because it was never in.
Based on 146 years of naming cycles. How we read them
The trade-off
- A form of Michael, a name everyone knows.
- Rooted in Greek and Russian tradition.
- Comes with Misha as a ready pet form.
- People will write Michael or Mikhail.
- The pronunciation varies.
- It will need spelling out.
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Michail
Masculine
Frequently asked
- How many Michails are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 500 people named Michail are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Michail in 2025?
- Michail is rarely given in the US today — it does not rank in the top 2000 boy names.
- Will my child share the name Michail with classmates?
- Michail will almost certainly be the only one in school.
More M names
The most-given names starting with M, all years combined.
Michael#21 · Matthew#32 · Mark#244 · Mason#39 · Martin#335 · Marvin#699 · Melvin#958 · Marcus#258
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Michail? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Michail and another name?
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US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
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