Meaning: Its source is a Hebrew expression meaning "Who resembles God."

Languages: This boy's name is used in Dutch.

Narrative: In the Jewish and Christian scriptures and other religious writings, the archangel Michael is identified as captain of God's army, humanity's intercessor with the divine, and an eternal recorder who tracks our deeds and misdeeds in a great heavenly book. He is often depicted carrying a flaming sword, and sometimes guarding the gates of Paradise.

The consistently high popularity of this name in the U.S. cannot be attributed with certainty to any one factor. It may be due simply to the pleasant sound of the name. It is also possible that no one has ever devised a more congenial nickname for a boy than Mike!

Meaning: Its source is Michael, a Hebrew name meaning "Who resembles God."

Languages: This girl's name is used in Dutch, Russian and Serbian.

Narrative: The French feminine forms of this name have been adopted by a large number of European languages. Though ultimately derived from the Hebrew original, their closest ancestor is the male French name Michel.

Awareness of this name was undoubtedly boosted by the immense popularity of Lennon and McCartney's 1965 ballad ''Michelle.'' Clearly addressed to a French girl (the lyrics rhyme her name with ma belle -- ''my beauty''), it reinforced the exotic, romantic impression this name can make.