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Meshell

♀ Girl

How to Pronounce Meshell

Pronounced muh-SHEL /məˈʃɛl/Medium

Meaning: Meshell is a phonetic respelling of Michelle, the French feminine of Michael, from Hebrew Mikha'el, 'who is like God?'. It writes the name the way it sounds; the meaning stays Michael's rhetorical question of devotion.Medium

In 30 seconds: Meshell spells Michelle the way it sounds — the French feminine of Michael, 'who is like God?' (said 'muh-SHEL'). A phonetic mid-century form.

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Origin MediumFrench, Hebrew

MeaningMeshell is a phonetic respelling of Michelle, the French feminine of Michael, from Hebrew Mikha'el, 'who is like God?'. It writes the name the way it sounds; the meaning stays Michael's rhetorical question of devotion.

U.S. rank (2008)#19496 ↘ Falling

2008 U.S. births5 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year1966

Total births (all-time)≈ 497

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Meshell is a sound-spelled Michelle, the French feminine of Michael from Hebrew Mikha'el, 'who is like God?'. It belongs to the era's habit of respelling French names phonetically for an English eye.

Meshell was always uncommon, borne by only a few dozen girls a year at its peak before fading. It is a variant spelling rather than a separate name; Michelle remains a modern classic, while Meshell reads as an informal respelling of its moment.

Did you know? The musician Me'Shell NdegeOcello popularized this phonetic styling of Michelle, though as a birth name Meshell long trailed the standard spelling.

Overall data confidence 60%

References — Michelle / Michael — Hebrew 'who is like God?'; phonetic respelling

Variations

MichelleMishellMeschelle

Nicknames

ShellyChelle

Famous Bearers

Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Meshell…

Michelle— the standard name Meshell respells

Rochelle— a like soft -chelle name of the era

Michaela— another feminine of Michael with the same root

Marcelle— a fellow French -elle girls' name

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Meshell mean?

Meshell is a respelling of Michelle, the French feminine of Michael, from Hebrew for 'who is like God?'.

How do you pronounce Meshell?

It's said muh-SHEL /məˈʃɛl/ — two syllables, stress on the second, like Michelle.

Is Meshell a boy or girl name?

Meshell is used as a girl's name.

How popular is Meshell?

Meshell has always been rare in the U.S., a phonetic respelling of the popular Michelle.