Michael in Chinese
How to write Michael in Chinese, how to say it, and real Chinese names that sound like it.
Michael, written by sound
迈克尔
Màikè'ěr
- 迈mài“stride”
- 克kè“overcome”
- 尔ěr“you (old)”
This is how Michael is written by sound: in the news, on maps and in translated books. Each character is there for its sound, so their meanings don't add up to anything.
- In Taiwan it is usually written 麦可 Màikě.
- Michael Jordan is 迈克尔·乔丹 Màikè’ěr Qiáodān.
- The archangel Michael is 米迦勒 Mǐjiālè in the Chinese Bible.
But it isn't a Chinese name. Chinese parents choose a name for what it means, like the ones below.
Real Chinese names that sound like Michael
Each one echoes the sound of Michael and means something good on its own. Tap the buttons to hear a character, watch it written, or write it yourself.
Classic name
明凯Míngkǎi
bright and triumphant
míng
bright, clear
日sun月moon
Commonly explained as the sun 日 and the moon 月 side by side: bright.
kǎi
triumphant
Minimal name
Mài
striding forward
辶walkingmeaning万wànsound
万 (wàn) sounded closer in older Chinese.
Stroke order follows the mainland China standard; a few characters are written differently in Taiwan.
Get your own Chinese name
Michael, get eight real names in the style you like (classic, poetic, wuxia…) and pick the one that feels like you. It takes a minute.
How Chinese names work
The family name comes first, and it is almost always one character: 王 Wáng, 李 Lǐ, 林 Lín. A few have two, like 欧阳 Ōuyáng.
The given name follows: one or two characters, chosen for what they mean. A virtue, a flower, a wish from the parents.
So with a family name in front, 明凯 becomes a full name such as 林明凯 (Lín Míngkǎi).
About the name Michael
In the US, Michael was the most popular boys’ name of the 1990s. In 2025 it is number 21. In England and Wales it was number 22 in 1996 and is number 85 in 2025.
Sources: US Social Security Administration, Office for National Statistics (UK).