Recent in Baby
When Baby Resists SolidsWhen Baby Resists SolidsBaby Biting TipsBaby Biting Tips5 Tips To Help Prevent Highchair Injuries5 Tips To Help Prevent Highchair InjuriesWhen Baby and Pet MeetWhen Baby and Pet MeetTreatments for ColicTreatments for ColicBaby Milestones – The First YearBaby Milestones – The First YearTips for Relieving Teething PainTips for Relieving Teething PainBenefits of Making Your Own Baby FoodBenefits of Making Your Own Baby Food

Home › Baby Names Directory › Mikhail

Mikhail

♂ Boy

Pronounced mih-kh-EE /mʲɪ.xɐ.ˈiɫ/Medium

Meaning: Who is like God?Medium

In 30 seconds: Mikhail is the Russian form of Michael, asking 'who is like God?'
💕 Browse more names
Origin MediumRussian, Bulgarian, Belarusian
MeaningWho is like God?
U.S. rank (2025)#1884 ↗ Rising
2025 U.S. births84 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)
Peak year2015
Total births (all-time)≈ 4,134

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 201519682025

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

Mikhail is the Russian version of Michael, and like the original it poses the rhetorical question 'who is like God?'. The spelling shifts across Slavic and neighbouring languages, giving forms such as Michail, Mihail and Mikayel. It was borne by the writer Mikhail Sholokhov (1905–1984), Nobel laureate in Literature, and by Mikhail Gorbachev (1931–2022), who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1990.

The variations Mikha'il, Mikayel and Mikayıl trace the same question across Arabic, Armenian and Turkic speech, all from one Hebrew root.

Did you know? The meaning usually attached to Mikhail is 'who is like God?', and that core idea is what gives the name most of its long-term appeal.
Overall data confidence 78%
Behind the Name - Mikhail — etymology, usage, pronunciation, and related formsU.S. Social Security Administration — 2024 popularity rank and count supplied in the batch input CSV

Variations

MichailMihailMikha'ilMikayelMikayıl

Nicknames

—

Famous Bearers

  • ★Mikhail Sholokhov (1905–1984)
    Recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1965.
  • ★Mikhail Gorbachev (1931–2022)
    Recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1990.

If you like Mikhail…

Michael— The original name that Mikhail is the Russian form of.
Vladimir— another Russian name
Aleksandr— shares Mikhail's Russian roots
Alexei— shares Mikhail's Russian roots
Nikita— another Russian name

Explore names like Mikhail

By themerussian
By meaningGod / Divine

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Mikhail mean?

Mikhail is usually explained as meaning 'who is like God?' and is most often linked with Russian tradition.

How do you pronounce Mikhail?

It's commonly said mih-kh-EE /mʲɪ.xɐ.ˈiɫ/.

Is Mikhail a boy or girl name?

In this batch and in recent U.S. usage data, Mikhail is used as a boy name.

How popular is Mikhail?

In 2024, Mikhail ranked #1908 in the U.S. for boys, with 83 births recorded.

💬 Ask Nia