Miguel
A surname from the given name Miguel, the Spanish form of Michael.
The #3,303 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 28,427 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Miguel is a Spanish surname formed from the personal name Miguel, the Spanish equivalent of Michael. That name ultimately comes from Hebrew Mikha'el, usually understood as a rhetorical question meaning 'Who is like God?' Through Latin and medieval Christian use, it became one of the most widespread baptismal names in Europe. As a surname, Miguel would originally have identified someone as 'son of Miguel' or simply as a family descended from a man named Miguel.
History
The surname is especially natural in Spanish-speaking areas, where inherited surnames often grew out of common given names. Historical sources also show related forms and nicknames built from Miguel, reflecting the name’s popularity in Iberia. In modern usage, Miguel is found across Spain and the wider Hispanic world, as well as in communities shaped by Spanish-language migration.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The same biblical name that produced Miguel in Spanish also gave English Michael, French Michel, and Italian Michele.
From the historical record
“Hugh le Cachepol, c 1300. M. Miguel Catchpoole. temp. Elii. Z. HentT Cichepole, M.P. for Hereford, C. R.. 45 Edw. III.”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with special American instances