(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 and Scottish: habitational name from any of the many places called Mor(e)ton, named in Old English as ‘settlement (tūn) by or on a marsh or moor (mōr)’.
Swedish: variant of Martin.
French: contracted form of Moreton 2.
Americanized form of one or more like-sounding Jewish surnames or of various other non-English names bearing some kind of similarity to it.
FOREBEARS The name Morton was established early in North America. George Morton (1585–1624), one of the Pilgrims, was probably born in Scrooby, Nottinghamshire, England. He and his son Nathaniel (b. 1613 in Leiden, the Netherlands) settled in Plymouth in 1623. John Morton (c.1724–77), one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, was born in PA, of Swedish descent. His grandfather, Morten Mortenson, had emigrated from Gothenburg in 1654.
