Michael Kamen

(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.

Slavic (e.g. Czech Kámen or Slovak Kameň), German, and Jewish (Ashkenazic): from a Slavic word meaning ‘stone’ or ‘rock’ (see Kamin), either directly, as a nickname, topographic name, or ornamental name, or indirectly as a habitational name for someone from Chemnitz (Slavic Kamenice), near the Czech border with Germany, or from one of the many other places in eastern Europe named with this word.