In ranked lists of male first names (from census, phonebooks), MICHAEL is
one of the top 10, but MICHEAL can also be found (much lower ranked). It's
not difficult to find JOSPEH and GEROGE at about the same level of ranking
as well. So it's either an uncommon name or a common typographical error.
How does one find out?
QUESTION: do you know of anyone whose first (or middle) name *really* is
MICHEAL (not MICHAEL, MICHEL, or MICHELE)? If so, how does that person
pronounce it?
>QUESTION: do you know of anyone whose first (or middle) name *really* is
>MICHEAL (not MICHAEL, MICHEL, or MICHELE)? If so, how does that person
>pronounce it?
>
>
My name is Michael [I'm told it is a Jewish name, and as it ends in 'el'
(meaning 'of God') it refers to a Defender of God]. A news reporter here
in Kansas City, MO spells his firstname Micheal (which, of course, I
thought was a typo), but that is the proper spelling of his name. It is
pronounced the same as Michael.
Mike McLain
Independence, MO
: >QUESTION: do you know of anyone whose first (or middle) name *really* is
: >MICHEAL (not MICHAEL, MICHEL, or MICHELE)? If so, how does that person
: >pronounce it?
I once met someone whose first name was Micheal. He said it was an
alternate spelling of Michael and pronounced the same.
Rev. Patrick Woulfe writes of the name MICHAEL in Ireland
in his 1923 work _Irish Names & Surnames_ as follows:
__
MI'C~EA'L, MIC~EA'L - Michael; Heb. Mikael, Who like God ?
Lat. Michael, -is
note the reversed juxtaposition in the EA dipthong in the Irish MICEAL
hope this is of some help or interest
regards, SeanRuad~ *{:-) near Boston
Project Director for _The IreAtlas Project_ - Phase II is now
50% completed - you are invited to check our web site progress at
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