(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: habitational name from any of the many places so called, from Old English norð ‘north’ + tūn ‘enclosure’, ‘settlement’. In some cases, it is a variant of Norrington.
Irish: altered form of Naughton, assimilated to the English name.
Jewish (American): adoption of the English name in place of some like-sounding Ashkenazic name.
FOREBEARS Nicholas Norton (1610–90) came from Broadway, Somerset, England, to Weymouth, MA, in 1635–37. In about 1657 he moved to Edgartown on Martha's Vineyard. He had ten children and many prominent descendants.