David vs Michael
David and Michaelcompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, David was ranked #45 and Michael #22 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2018, David was ranked #97 and Michael #62 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, David was ranked #64 and Michael #85 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, David was ranked #104 and Michael #66 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, David was ranked #71 and Michael #66 among boys in Scotland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2020, David was ranked #84 and Michael #81 among boys in New Zealand.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, David was ranked #88 and Michael #195 among boys in Norway.
David and Michael over time
David and Michael appear together in 6 published lists, across 332 years of shared records. Michael held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, David in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 2 of the lists they share.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2013, David moved ahead of Michael in England and Wales · Boys — #59 and #53 the year before became #50 and #53.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
David and Michael changed places 20 times in Norway · Boys between 1945 and 2025, ending at #88 and #195.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, David and Michael averaged 14.5 places apart, ending at #64 and #85.
- Longest-running competitions
David and Michael were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 65 years, from 1952 to 2018, ending at #97 and #62.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — David #32 in 1996, Michael #22 in 1996.
List by list
Norway · Boys81 shared years, 1945–2025
David held the stronger position in 56 of those years, Michael in 25.
Highest recorded here: David #31 in 2005, Michael #48 in 1990.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: David #88, Michael #195.
New Zealand · Boys67 shared years, 1954–2020
David held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Michael in 52.
Highest recorded here: David #1 in 1960, Michael #1 in 1968.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2020: David #84, Michael #81.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys65 shared years, 1952–2018
David held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Michael in 44.
Highest recorded here: David #1 in 1961, Michael #1 in 1974.
The order changed in 1974: Michael moved ahead. In 1973 they stood at #2 and #3; by 1974 that had become #2 and #1.
Most recent shared year, 2018: David #97, Michael #62.
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
David held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Michael in 39.
Highest recorded here: David #1 in 1985, Michael #2 in 1966.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: David #45, Michael #22.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
David held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Michael in 17.
Highest recorded here: David #32 in 1996, Michael #22 in 1996.
The order changed in 2013: David moved ahead. In 2012 they stood at #59 and #53; by 2013 that had become #50 and #53.
Most recent shared year, 2024: David #64, Michael #85.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
David held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Michael in 28.
Highest recorded here: David #9 in 1997, Michael #7 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: David #104, Michael #66.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | David | Michael |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Commonly interpreted as 'beloved', with a possible secondary sense of 'uncle' for the root. | Commonly interpreted as a rhetorical question, 'Who is like God?', implying no one compares to God. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Biblical Hebrew |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdeɪvɪd/ | /ˈmaɪkəl/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #45 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #22 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Both David and Michael share a recorded Biblical Hebrew origin.
- David and Michael both have 2 syllables.
- David's recorded meaning differs from Michael's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
How each name got here
David
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #167 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–2018
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1961 (recorded 1952–2018).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #88 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Michael
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #259 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1974 (recorded 1952–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #62 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys