| ![Show Contents]() Michels History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Etymology of MichelsWhat does the name Michels mean? The Michels family originally lived in the town of Mitcham in the county of Surrey, England before moving north to Scotland, and taking this name with them. In Scotland, as hereditary surnames were adopted during the late Middle Ages, names derived from localities became increasingly widespread. Local names sometimes denoted the proprietorship of the village or estate. Alternatively the name was derived from the personal name Michael, meaning "who is like God" and influenced by the Norman French to Michel and later to Mitchell. The Gaelic form of the name was MacgilleMichael. 1 Crossmichael is a parish, in the stewartry of Kirkcudbright. "This place, which is of remote antiquity, derives its name, in old documents Corse-Michael, from the dedication of its church, which was granted to the abbey of Sweetheart, in the year 1275, by Dervorgille, wife of Allan, Lord of Galloway, and mother of John Baliol, King of Scotland. " 2 Early Origins of the Michels familyThe surname Michels was first found in Surrey. Although the records are vague, it is most likely that this name moved north from Durham or Yorkshire around 1130 and were one of the many families invited north by King David of Scotland when he ascended the throne. Significantly, John Michelsone had a safe conduct passage to England to conduct trading south of the border in 1395. Meanwhile, William Michelsone held his estates in Innerkethin Scotland. The Latinization of this name at this time was Michaelis and many of the individuals are recorded in charters under this name. John Michaelis of Brechin was the rector of that place in 1464. "Robert Michael de Hyrmanston was a charter witness in 1438, John Michell had a remission granted him in 1489 for his part in holding Dumbarton Castle against the king, and John Mitsell held a land in Glasgow in 1496." 1 Early History of the Michels familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Michels research. Another 124 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1433, 1463, 1465, 1474, 1591, 1600, 1642, 1646, 1662, 1663, 1699, 1702, 1710 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Michels History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Michels Spelling VariationsSpelling variations of this family name include: Mitchell, Michel, Michell, Mitchill, Mychell, Mitcham and many more. Early Notables of the Michels familyAnother 37 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Michels Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Michels Rankingthe United States, the name Michels is the 4,960th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 3 Migration of the Michels family to IrelandSome of the Michels family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 79 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Michels migration to the United States | + |
Michels Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- Margareth Michels, aged 27, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1807 4
- Mr. Charles Michels, aged 35, German who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1845 aboard the ship "Weser"
- Mr. Joseph Michels, aged 30, German who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1845 aboard the ship "Weser"
- Dorothea Michels, who arrived in North America in 1846 4
- Joseph Michels, who landed in America in 1854 4
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
| Contemporary Notables of the name Michels (post 1700) | + |
- Robert Michels (b. 1936), American physician and professor of Medicine and of Psychiatry
- Pete Michels, American television director, known for Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002), Starsky & Hutch (2004) and Family Guy (1999)
- Jeff Michels (b. 1961), American former Olympic weightlifter for the United States
- Robert Michels (1876-1936), German sociologist who contributed to elite theory by describing the political behavior of intellectual elites
- Rinus Michels (1928-2005), Dutch association football player and coach
- Mareno Michels (b. 1984), Dutch darts player who competes in Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) events
- Jan Michels (b. 1970), Dutch former professional footballer who played as a midfielder
- Sir David Michels (b. 1946), British businessman, former Deputy Chairman of Marks & Spencer
- Birgit Michels (b. 1984), German five-time gold medalist badminton player who competed for Germany at the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics
The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.
Motto: Favente Deo supero
Motto Translation: By God’s favour I conquer.
- Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of Scotland. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
- 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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