Michelle is the French feminine form of Michel, the Hebrew Michael, and means "who is like God?", a question that expects the answer no one. The Beatles' 1965 song Michelle made it one of the most popular girls' names in America, and First Lady Michelle Obama is its best-known bearer today. Michelle ranked number 52 in 2000, left the top 100 in 2009 and stands at number 465 in 2025.