unisex name
Micah
MY-kuh
- Origin Hebrew
- Gender Unisex
- Syllables 2
- Letters 5
- Popularity Top 100 (US)
- Births on record 143,798
the United States
#90
2025 births
Micah is a boy's name of Hebrew origin meaning "who is like Yahweh?" — a rhetorical question expecting the answer that nobody is. It is a shortened form of Michael's construction, using Yah rather than El for God.
- Micah is a name of Hebrew origin.
- Peaked in 2024, when 4,246 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 807 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1946.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Micah over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1940s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1940s | 27 |
| 1950s | 278 |
| 1960s | 1,267 |
| 1970s | 7,771 |
| 1980s | 12,747 |
| 1990s | 16,967 |
| 2000s | 30,658 |
| 2010s | 39,653 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 24,238 |
What Micah means
Micah is a question rather than a statement: mi kha Yah, who is like Yahweh? The expected answer is nobody, making the name an assertion of God's uniqueness — exactly the same construction as Michael.
Where Micah comes from
Micah comes from the Hebrew Mikhah, a contraction of Mikhayahu, meaning who is like Yahweh. It is built identically to Michael, which uses El for God rather than Yah, so the two names are effectively the same question asked with different words. The prophet Micah preached in the eighth century BC and his book contains the verse asking what the Lord requires — to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly — among the most quoted lines in the Hebrew Bible. Several other biblical figures share the name. Micah entered English use after the Reformation and has risen considerably in recent decades.
Micah in use
Micah and Michael ask the same rhetorical question, one using Yah for God and the other El.
How popular is Micah?
In 2025, Micah was given to 4,108 babies in the United States, ranking #90 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
Where Micah is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Micah
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Micah also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Micah over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Micah
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Micah in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Micah
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Micah — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Micah
What does the name Micah mean?
Micah means "who is like Yahweh?", a rhetorical question whose expected answer is no one.
Is Micah related to Michael?
Yes. They ask the same question, Micah using Yah for God and Michael using El.
Who was Micah in the Bible?
An eighth-century BC prophet whose book asks what the Lord requires — to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly.
How popular is the name Micah?
In 2025, Micah was given to 4,108 babies in the United States, ranking #90 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
Is Micah a girl's or a boy's name?
Micah is used for both girls and boys. About 10% of recorded births with this name are girls.
How many syllables are in Micah?
Micah has 2 syllables.
When was Micah most popular?
Micah peaked in 2024, when 4,246 babies were given the name. Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Micah?
Micah is usually shortened to Mick.
Is Micah a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Micah currently ranks #90 in the United States. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.