Michel (name)

Michel is a name used today in France, Canada, Belgium and other French-speaking countries. It can be both a given name and a surname of Hebrew origin, derived from מִיכָאֵל / מיכאל, meaning Who Is Like God? The name is particularly common in French (from where the standard English pronunciation is derived), German (already in Middle High German), Dutch, and Afrikaans. In these instances Michel is equivalent to the English personal name Michael, although in Dutch the name Michaël is also common. Mitxel is the Basque form of Michael. When of Czech, Slovak or Polish origin it is a variant of the personal name Michal. When of Greek origin, the surname Michel is a shortened form of various patronymic derivatives of Michael. Examples of such are Michelakis, Michelakakis, or Michelakos.

Persons with the surname

 * Annett Wagner-Michel (born 1955), German chess master
 * Anneliese Michel (1952–1976), a German woman said to be possessed by demons
 * Augustin Michel (1855-1931), a Belgian World War I general
 * Charles Michel (politician) (born 1975), Belgian politician and current President of the European Council
 * Charles D. Michel (born 1963), Admiral and 30th Vice Commandant of the United States Coast Guard
 * Claude Michel (known as Clodion; 1738-1814), French sculptor
 * Claude Michel (born 1971), French football player
 * Hartmut Michel (born 1948), German biochemist
 * Henri Michel (historian) (1907–1986), a French historian
 * Hermann Michel (1912–1984), a German Nazi SS officer
 * Jean Michel (poet) (died 1501), 15th-century French dramatic poet
 * Jean Michel (politician) (born 1949), French politician
 * Joseph Edward Michel (1917–1961), Ghanaian soldier
 * Joseph Eugène Michel (1821–1885), French lawyer who was Representative, then Senator of Basses-Alpes
 * Kathrin Michel (born 1963), German politician
 * Luis Ernesto Michel (born 1979), a Mexican professional footballer
 * Mike Michel (born 1954), former NFL football player
 * Nettie Leila Michel (1863–1912), American business woman, author, magazine editor
 * Paul Redmond Michel (born 1941), an American former federal judge
 * Pierre Michel (born 1942), a French literary scholar
 * Pras Michel (born 1972), an American musician
 * Robert H. Michel (1928-2017), a United States politician
 * Rolf Michel (born 1945), a German physicist
 * Sony Michel, (born 1995), NFL football player
 * Thomas Michel (basketball) (born 1995), a German basketball player

Persons with the given name

 * Michel Aflaq (1910–1989), Syrian founder of the Ba'ath ideology
 * Michel Aoun, (born 1935), Lebanese Army Commander and president of Lebanon
 * Michel Barrera (born 1980), American fugitive
 * Michel Bernanos (1923–1964), French poet and fantasy writer
 * Michel Bakhoum (1913–1981), Egyptian civil engineer, professor
 * Michel Brunet (disambiguation), several persons
 * Michel Cadotte (1764–1837), Canadian Métis fur trader
 * Michel Camilo (born 1954), Dominican Republic pianist and composer
 * Michel das Chagas Henrique (born 1989), Brazilian footballer
 * Michel Chiha (1891–1954), Lebanese banker, politician, writer and journalist
 * Michel Corneille the Younger (1642–1708), French painter, etcher and engraver
 * Michel Corrette (1707–1795) French organist, composer and author of musical method books
 * Michel de Certeau (1925–1986), French Jesuit and scholar
 * Michel Devoret (born 1953), French-American physicist
 * Michel Djotodia, Central African politician who was President of the Central African Republic from 2013 to 2014
 * Michel dos Reis Santana (born 1977), Brazilian footballer
 * Michel Doukeris (born 1973), Brazilian businessman, CEO of AB InBev
 * Michel Drucker (born 1942), French journalist and TV host
 * Michel Ferrari (born 1954), Swiss neurologist
 * Michel Field (born 1954), French journalist
 * Michel Foucault (1926–1984), French philosopher, historian and sociologist
 * Michel Friedman (born 1956), German politician and TV host
 * Michel Galabru (1922–2016), French actor
 * Michel Garbini Pereira (born 1981), Brazilian footballer
 * Michel Godard (born 1960), French tuba player and jazz musician
 * Michel Godbout, Canadian news anchor
 * Michel Goma (1932–2022), French fashion designer
 * Michel Gondry (born 1963), French screenwriter, and director
 * Michel Guerry (born 1932), French politician
 * Michel Hamaide (1936–2017), French politician
 * Michel Henry (1922–2002), French philosopher and novelist
 * Michel Houellebecq (born 1958), French writer
 * Michel Joachim Marie Raymond (1755–1798), French general
 * Michel Kaplan (born 1946), French Byzantinist
 * Michel Klein (born 1958), French fashion designer
 * Michel El Khoury (born 1926), Lebanese politician
 * Michel Lajoie (fl. 2014), American politician
 * Michel Legrand (1932–2019), French musical composer, arranger, conductor, and pianist
 * Michel Macquet (1932–2002), French javelin thrower
 * Michel Moore, LAPD chief
 * Michel Murr (1932–2021), Lebanese politician
 * Michel Ney (1769–1815), French soldier and military commander during the French Revolutionary Wars and Napoleonic Wars, Marshal of the Empire
 * Michel de Nostredame (1503–1566), French astrologer, physician and reputed seer
 * Michel van Oostrum (born 1966), Dutch footballer
 * Michel Pastor (1944–2014), Monagasque businessman and art collector
 * Michel Pereira (disambiguation), several people
 * Michel Petrucciani (1962–1999), French jazz pianist
 * Michel Pezet (born 1942), French politician
 * Michel Polnareff (born 1944), French singer
 * Michel Platini (born 1955), French football manager and player, president of UEFA
 * Michel Rabagliati, Canadian cartoonist
 * Michel Randrianekena, Malagasy politician
 * Michel Rocard (1930–2016), French politician
 * Michel Rojkind (born 1969), Mexican architect
 * Michel Samaha (born 1948), Lebanese politician
 * Michel Georges Sassine (1927–2014), Lebanese politician
 * Michel Sikyea (1901–2002), Canadian aboriginal rights activist
 * Michel Soymié (1924–2002), French sinologist
 * Michel Sulaiman (born 1948), commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces
 * Michel Tapié (1909–1987), French critic, curator, and art collector
 * Michel Teló (born 1981), Brazilian singer
 * Michel Temer (born 1940), Brazilian politician and former President
 * Michel Therrien (born 1963), Canadian hockey coach
 * Michel Thomas, language teacher
 * Michel Tremblay (disambiguation), several persons
 * Michel Tromont (1937–2018), Belgian politician
 * Michel Trudeau, young son of Pierre Trudeau
 * Michel Vaxès (1940–2016), French politician.
 * Michel Verne (1861–1925), French writer; son of Jules Verne
 * Michel Vialay (born 1960), French politician

Middle name

 * Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960-1988), American artist
 * Yechiel Michel Epstein (1829–1908), Lithuanian Rabbi, author of Aruch Hashulchan
 * Yechiel Michel Feinstein (1906–2003), Rabbi, Haredi rosh yeshiva in Israel
 * Jean Michel Jarre (born 1948), French composer, performer and music producer
 * Jean-Michel Pilc (born 1960), French-born jazz pianist

Fictional characters

 * Deutscher Michel, personification of the German nation, usually depicted wearing a nightcap and nightgown
 * Michel Bollinger, a character from the visual novel The House in Fata Morgana
 * Michel Gerard, a concierge from the TV series Gilmore Girls
 * Michel Vaillant, a French comic book character
 * Michel Volban de Cabelle, a character from the 2006 anime Glass Fleet
 * Michel Desjardins from The Kane Chronicles series by Rick Riordan
 * Michel Starzynski from Sarah's Key a novel by Tatiana de Rosnay
 * Eikichi “Michel” Mishina from the video game, ‘’Persona 2: Innocent Sin’
 * Michel, a titular character from the 2003 South Korean animated series Guardian Fairy Michel