(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.
German: from a personal name, in which two originally distinct names have fallen together: a pet form of the personal name Lorenz, and the Germanic personal name Lanzo, which was originally a short form of any of several compound names with land ‘land’ as the first element, e.g. Lambrecht (see Lambert).
German: nickname from Middle High German lenz e ‘spring’ from lang ‘long’, since in this season the days grow longer. The name may also have been bestowed on someone who was born in the spring or who owed rent or service at that time of year, or it may have denoted someone who was of a sunny and spring-like disposition.
German: habitational name from any of several places named Lenz.
Jewish (Ashkenazic): from German Lenz ‘spring’ (see 2), one of the class of ornamental names adopted from words denoting the seasons. Compare Summer, Winter, Herbst, Fruhling.
