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Home › Baby Names Directory › Michal

Michal

♀ Girl

Pronounced mee-KHAL /miˈxɑl/Medium

Meaning: Who is like God?; the daughter of King Saul and first wife of David, who saved his lifeHigh

In 30 seconds: A princess who saved a king: Michal — Hebrew 'who is like God?' — was Saul's daughter and David's first wife, who lowered him from a window to escape her own father. The feminine of Michael, with a heroine's nerve.
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Origin HighHebrew
MeaningWho is like God?; the daughter of King Saul and first wife of David, who saved his life
U.S. rank (2025)#4320 ↘ Falling
2025 U.S. births33 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)
Peak year1985
Total births (all-time)≈ 4,029

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 198519382025

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

Michal is Hebrew mikhal, 'who is like God?' — the same question as Michael — the daughter of King Saul who became David's first wife and saved his life by helping him escape Saul's soldiers. The name is treasured in Jewish tradition and is a modern Israeli favorite (pronounced mee-KHAL).

In the U.S. it appears in Jewish families; Anglophones sometimes read it as 'Michael'. Rare, royal, and brave at the root.

Did you know? Michal loved David enough to deceive her father King Saul and help David flee — one of the Bible's boldest acts of loyalty, by the feminine namesake of the archangel.
Overall data confidence 85%
Behind the Name — Michal — etymology

Variations

MichelMikhalMychal

Nicknames

MichiMika

Famous Bearers

  • ★Michal
    Biblical figure, daughter of King Saul and first wife of David in the Hebrew Bible
  • ★Michal Negrin
    Israeli jewelry and fashion designer known for vintage-inspired romantic pieces

If you like Michal…

Michaela— the fuller feminine of the same root
Shifra— a fellow biblical-heroine name
Abigail— another wife-of-David figure
Tamar— a companion biblical princess name

Explore names like Michal

By themehebrewbiblicaljewishroyal
By meaningGod / DivineRoyal / NobleLife

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Michal mean?

Michal is Hebrew for 'who is like God?' — the daughter of Saul and first wife of David, who saved his life.

How do you pronounce Michal?

It's said mee-KHAL /miˈxɑl/ — two syllables, stress on the second, with a guttural kh.

Is Michal a boy or girl name?

Michal is a girl's name in Hebrew tradition.

How popular is Michal?

Michal is a rare name in the U.S., familiar in Jewish families and Israel.

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