Show ContentsMichaelis History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Michaelis was born in the beautiful region of Bohemia, which is now part of Czechoslavakia. German surnames developed at a time when most of Bohemia, and most of the German provinces, were states of the Holy Roman Empire. At first people used only a single name, but as the population grew and people began to travel, they began to find it necessary to take on an additional name to distinguish themselves. Fairly general principles guided the development of hereditary surnames in Bohemia. The surname Michaelis derived from the given name Michael, which derives in turn from the Hebrew Mika'el. It is composed of "mi" meaning "who," "ke," meaning "like," and "El," a shortened form of "Eloin," meaning "God," with the whole meaning of "who is like God," or "God-like." The popularity of the name Michael resulted from the devotion to the various Judeo-Christian holy figures bearing this name.

Early Origins of the Michaelis family

The surname Michaelis was first found in Bohemia, where the name emerged in mediaeval times as one of the notable families of the region. From the 13th century the surname was identified with the great social and economic evolution which made this territory a landmark contributor to the development of the nation.

Early History of the Michaelis family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Michaelis research. Another 183 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1592, 1645, 1652, 1657, 1755, 1786 and 1787 are included under the topic Early Michaelis History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Michaelis Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Michael, Micheel, Michel, Meikle, Michler, Michaelis (Prussia), Michahelles (North Rhine) and many more.

Early Notables of the Michaelis family

More information is included under the topic Early Michaelis Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Michaelis Ranking

In the United States, the name Michaelis is the 9,798th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [1]


United States Michaelis migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Michaelis Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Frederic Michaelis, who arrived in America in 1777-1783 [2]
Michaelis Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • John Died Michaelis, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1804 [2]
  • Carl Michaelis, who landed in North America in 1832-1849 [2]
  • Henriette Michaelis, who landed in Galveston, Tex in 1850 [2]
  • Pauline Michaelis, who landed in New York, NY in 1850 [2]
  • Ad Michaelis, who settled in New York, NY in 1851
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Michaelis (post 1700) +

  • Jen Michaelis, American artist, illustrator, author, and blogger
  • Lisa Michaelis, American female actress/singer/musician/children's performer
  • John Hersey Michaelis (1912-1985), United States Army four star general
  • Frederick H. Michaelis, American fighter pilot and flying ace in the U.S. Navy, during World War II, credited with 5 aerial victories
  • Anthony R. Michaelis (1916-2007), German science journalist and publisher
  • Hans-Thorald Michaelis (1925-2004), German historian, germanist and genealogist
  • Holger Michaelis (b. 1942), German sociologist, economist and professor emeritus
  • Gustav Adolf Michaelis (1798-1848), German obstetrician
  • Peter Michaelis, German plant geneticist
  • August Michaelis (1847-1916), German chemist
  • ... (Another 7 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)


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