Michael

[heylilbunny]

My DH is American and we have lived there for many years (as well as other nations). I am always amazed and how popular Michael is in every generation in the US. It's still very popular there in English and Spanish versions. I don't see Michael mentioned much on MN at all. When I lived in the UK I noticed it was popular in Irish/Irish descent families so do you think it's the Catholic connection that means Michael endures so well in other nations?

Do you like Michael and know any under 10?

One of my best friends in London has a son called Michael aged 22. She only wanted this name but she is also devout Catholic.

I have a Michael he was named after my df. We are not irish or catholic.

He's 11 btw

Lovely name! One of my favourites for a boy. But I don't know any young ones, so it is well overdue a revival.

mmm yes any excuse for a picture of a young Al Pacino ...

I think it was popular late 70s as there are lots my age! Much less common for a baby today but still a nice name

It's DS2's middle name because it's my Dad's name. Not Irish or Catholic. DS is 2.5.

It's a solid name that can be adapted to suit a baby and a man.

It is a lovely, strong name. I don't think of "Irish," particularly, when I hear this.

I have 12 year old twins at different secondary schools. When I asked them if their were any kids with unusual names at school, they both piped up "Michael" (and David was another one). I was a bit surprised and asked why it was unusual - they said it was an old persons name !

This reminded me that I went to school with kids called George and Ella and always felt sorry for them for their old fashioned names. Now these are totally the norm.

I think Michael's lovely, it just won't be very "in" at the moment and will be seen as a bit of a Dad's name.

I have a 10 year old Michael, he is the only one in his school.
We never shorten his name as we love it in full.
A distant relative is also Michael, but we chose the name because it was always our favourite, we are also Irish and Catholic!

My mum had three generations if Michaels in her house yesterday, her brother, son (30s) grandson (2). Her dad was also a Michael. Obviously it's popular in our family The other Michaels I know are father and sin (12ish) neighbours of ours.

I'm intrigued to know why, if you are in Ireland, you shouldn't call your son Michael ward, O'Brien or cash?

Well, I think there are some names that would suggest they might belong to a traveller. It's definitely not an exact science. It's the combination of first name and sur name really as nobody could accuse travellers of giving their babies stupid naff names. They tend to use very solid traditional names.

btw, if my sur name were spanish for example, Garcia then I would have avoided names that together with Garcia gave the overwhelming impression we were spanish. eg, Paloma. I hope this makes sense. I don't want to offend anybody, I just think it's better to know in advance. Nevin is another sur name I wouldn't put Michael with.

Odd, isn't it. That wouldn't necessarily occur to me. Years ago I read in my parents' local paper about the death of a local man whose name was Hamish McSporran. Not doubt about his nationality. Scots tend to have no qualms about making it very plain in their naming choices.

No I think you'd have to be Irish to know the traveller sur names. There are lots of settled people with those sur names too. It's the combination of certain names together. And obviously there's nothing wrong with sharing a name with a traveller but it could be odd, if people assumed it.

If your sur name isn't Moorehouse, Ward, Cash, Nevin, McDonagh, Connors or O'Brien then don't worry.

I'll be eaten alive for this post so I think I'll name change now.

Interesting, my surname is one of those mentioned, probably the one that people would think of being the most Irish and yet my family are from Scotland and there are no traveller links.

It's not as straightforward as say, o'brien, he must be a traveller. It's just that there are far fewer sur names amongst the travelling community than amongst the settled community.

As said before, it's a combination of names that might seem to nail colours to one mast or another. Eg Bridget Nevin - a typical traveller name. Bridget Costello - probably settled community but who knows. Sarah Nevin - probably settled but who knows.

I know 3 under 3. Thinks it's having a small resurgence.

My brother who is in his teens is a Michael, we are not Irish??? He gets lots of compliments about his name. No one in our family ever shortens his name. A few people I know, recently had the name Michael on their baby name shortlist, I think it is heading for a comeback.

I hope so - I think it's a really nice name. There were loads of boys the same generation as me (born in 60s) named Michael. TBH I prefer names like this to the currently popular 'old men' names, eg Arthur, which just shout 'little old man in cloth cap' to me, although obviously young parents now must be having different associations.