Michael Peoples

(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.

Irish (Ulster): adopted as an English equivalent of Gaelic Ó Duibhne ‘descendant of Dubhne’, a personal name meaning ‘ill-going’, ‘disagreeable’. Compare Deeney. Peoples is a pseudo-translation based on the phonetic resemblance of the Gaelic name to Gaelic daoine ‘people’.