Michael Arsenault

(male) English form of a common biblical name (meaning ‘who is like God?’ in Hebrew) borne by one of the archangels, the protector of the ancient Hebrews, who is also regarded as a saint of the Catholic Church. In the Middle Ages, Michael was regarded as captain of the heavenly host (see Revelation 12:7–9), symbol of the Church Militant, and patron of soldiers. He was often depicted bearing a flaming sword. The name is also borne by a Persian prince and ally of Belshazzar mentioned in the Book of Daniel. Since the early 1900s it has been one of the most enduringly popular boys' names in the English-speaking world. See also Michal.

French: occupational name for a gunmaker, a seller of guns, or the keeper of an arsenal. The French word arsenal (Italian arsenale) is from Arabic dār aṣ-ṣinā῾a ‘house of fabrication’, ‘workshop’. This spelling of the surname, which is much more common in North America than in France, has been assimilated to that of other French surnames ending in -ault, for example Thibault.