The story behind Miguel
Borrowed from Spanish Miguel and Portuguese Miguel. Doublet of Michael, Michel, and Mikhail.
Other language forms and explanations (4)
Portuguese entry
Portuguese Miguel Inherited from Old Galician-Portuguese Miguel, from Migael, from Latin Michāēl, borrowed from Koine Greek Μῐχᾱήλ (Mĭkhāḗl), borrowed from Biblical Hebrew מִיכָאֵל (mīḵāʾēl, “Michael”, literally “Who is like God?”), from מִי (mí, “who”) + כַּ־ (ka-, “like”) + אֵל (él, “God”). Doublet of Michel, Maicol, Maicon, and Micael.
Spanish entry
a male given name from Hebrew, equivalent to English Michael
Galician entry
Inherited from Old Galician-Portuguese Miguel, from Migael, from Latin Michāēl, borrowed from Koine Greek Μῐχᾱήλ (Mĭkhāḗl), borrowed from Biblical Hebrew מִיכָאֵל (mīḵāʾēl, “Michael”, literally “Who is like God?”), from מִי (mí, “who”) + כַּ־ (ka-, “like”) + אֵל (él, “God”). Cognate with Portuguese and Spanish Miguel.
Tagalog entry
Borrowed from Spanish Miguel, from Latin Michāēl, borrowed from Koine Greek Μῐχᾱήλ (Mĭkhāḗl), borrowed from Biblical Hebrew מִיכָאֵל (mīḵāʾēl, “Michael”, literally “Who is like God?”), from מִי (mí, “who”) + כַּ־ (ka-, “like”) + אֵל (él, “God”).
Pronunciation
English; dialect unspecified: /miˈɡɛl/
Regional pronunciation variants
- Portuguese; Brazil: /miˈɡɛw/
- Portuguese; Brazil: [miˈɡɛʊ̯]
- Portuguese; Portugal: [miˈɣɛɫ]
- Portuguese; Portugal; Southern: /miˈɡɛ.li/
- Spanish: /miˈɡel/
- Spanish: [miˈɣ̞el]
- Galician: [miˈɣ̞ɛɫ]
- Galician; standard: [miˈɣ̞ɛɫ]
- Galician: /miˈħɛl/
- Galician: [miˈħɛɫ]
- Tagalog; Standard-Tagalog: /miˈɡel/
- Tagalog; Standard-Tagalog: [mɪˈɣ̠ɛl]
Popularity
Miguel ranked #212 in US for 2025.
Source: SSA national baby names
Names Similar to Miguel
Manual
A male given name from Spanish: a rare spelling variant of Manuel, sometimes considered erroneous.
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 3 syllables
- Ending
- ends L
- same syllable count
- similar length
Manuel
Borrowed from Spanish and Portuguese Manuel, short for Emanuel. Borrowed from Spanish and Portuguese Manuel; ultimately from Hebrew עִמָּנוּאֵל (imanu'él), from עִמָּנוּ אֵל…
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends L
- same syllable count
- similar length
Michael
English Michael From Middle English Michael, from Old French Michel, Old English Michahel, from their source Latin Michaēl, Michāhēl, from Ancient Greek Μῐχᾱήλ (Mĭkhāḗl), from…
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends L
- same syllable count
- similar length
Michaël
Borrowed from Dutch Michaël. From Vulgar Latin Michaēl, found in the Vulgate Bible, from Classical Latin Michahēl, from Biblical Hebrew מִיכָאֵל (mîḵāʾēl, literally “who is…
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends L
- same syllable count
- similar length
Michal
From Hebrew מִיכַל (mikhál, “Michal”). a male given name from Hebrew, equivalent to English Michael From Vulgate Latin Michael, from Biblical Hebrew מִיכָאֵל (mîḵāʾēl,…
- Gender
- feminine
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends L
- same syllable count
- similar length
Micheal
Anglicised form of Irish Mícheál or Scottish Gaelic Mìcheal. Also a spelling variant of Michael, generally considered erroneous.
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends L
- same syllable count
- similar length
Middle Names for Miguel
Abdia
Borrowed from Biblical Hebrew עוֹבַדְיָה (ovadya).
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 3 syllables
- Ending
- ends A
- balanced syllable contrast
- good length contrast
Abednego
From Hebrew עֲבֵד נְגוֹא, itself derived from a reconstructed Aramaic name meaning likely "servant of Nabu" or "servant of Nergal".
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 4 syllables
- Ending
- ends O
- balanced syllable contrast
- good length contrast
Abigail
From Hebrew אֲבִיגַיִל (avigáyil, “Abigail”, literally “my Father's joy” or “fountain of joy”). a female given name from Hebrew, equivalent to English Abigail Borrowed from…
- Gender
- feminine
- Syllables
- 3 syllables
- Ending
- ends L
- balanced syllable contrast
- good length contrast
Sibling Names for Miguel
Aarão
From Latin Aarōn, from Hebrew אַהֲרֹן ('aharón). Doublet of Faro.
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends O
- shared origin connection
- balanced name length
Aaron
From Latin Aaron, from Ancient Greek Ἀαρών (Aarṓn), from Hebrew אַהֲרֹן (ʾAhărōn), of unknown meaning, possibly meaning “bearer of martyrs”, or perhaps also, or instead,…
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends N
- shared origin connection
- balanced name length
Aarón
a male given name from Latin [in turn from Ancient Greek, in turn from Hebrew], equivalent to English Aaron
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends N
- shared origin connection
- balanced name length