Michael

Michael is not a statement but a question — the Hebrew mi ka'el literally asks "who is like God?" — and the archangel who carried that name carried a flaming sword. For nearly four decades, from 1954 through 1998, Michael was the most popular boys' name in America, a run no name has matched since. Michael Jordan, Michael Jackson, Michelangelo, Michael Corleone: the name has held every register from saint to showman. Two syllables with a soft ch sliding into the l, a name built for easy repetition. Steady, classic, and still deeply in use. It has earned its familiarity the honest way, by being useful to everyone.