(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.
Cognates: Irish: Mícheál. Scottish Gaelic: Mìcheal. Welsh: Meical, Mihangel. German: Michael. Dutch: Michaël, Machiel. Scandinavian: Mikael. Danish, Norwegian: Mikkel. French: Michel. Spanish, Portuguese: Miguel. Catalan: Miquel. Italian: Michele. Russian: Mikhail. Polish: Michał. Czech: Michal. Croatian: Mihovil. Serbian: Mihajlo. Slovenian: Mihael. Finnish: Mikko. Hungarian: Mihály.
Short forms: Mike, Mick.
Pet forms: Mick(e)y, Mikey.
English: 1. (of Norman origin) nickname from Anglo-Norman French leuet ‘wolf cub’ (see Low 3). 2. habitational name from any of the various places in Normandy called Livet. All are of obscure, presumably Gaulish, etymology. 3. from the Middle English personal name Lefget, Old English Lēofgēat, composed of the elements lēof ‘dear’, ‘beloved’ + the tribal name Gēat (see Jocelyn). 4. possibly from an unrecorded Middle English survival of the Old English female personal name Lēofgȳð, composed of the elements lēof ‘dear’, ‘beloved’ + gȳð ‘battle’.
FOREBEARS Early American Leavitts include John Leavitt, who was born 1608 in England and married in Hingham, MA, in 1637. His descendants spread to NH.
