MICHAEL Family History

Recorded in over two hundred spellings, some examples of which are shown below, this is a European medieval surname of Crusader, but ultimately biblical origins. Deriving from the ancient Hebrew name "Micha-el" meaning "He who is like god", it was introduced from the Holy Land by returning warriors from the various Crusades commencing in the 12th century and which continued for several centuries with minimal success. During the period of the Christian Revival at this time, the name rapidly became established as firstly one of the most popular baptismal names, and within a generation as one of the early surnames.