Mikha'el is the Biblical Hebrew form of the name Michael, meaning "who is like God?" This rhetorical question emphasizes that no being is comparable to God. The name is composed of the Hebrew elements מִי (mi) ("who"), ךְּ (ke) ("like"), and אֵל (ʾel) ("God").
In Hebrew tradition, Michael is one of the archangels and the only one explicitly identified as such in the Bible. He appears as the protector of Israel in the Book of Daniel (Daniel 12:1) and as the leader of heaven's armies against Satan in the Book of Revelation. In Christianity, he is honored as the patron saint of soldiers. The name became widespread among rulers and saints, being borne by nine Byzantine emperors and various European royalty, including Russian tsars (Mikhail), Romanian princes (Mihai), and Polish kings (Michał).
The name's enduring popularity is reflected in its many variant forms across languages: Mikha'il in Quranic Arabic, Mikayel in Armenian, Mikayıl in Azerbaijani, Mikel and Mitxel in Basque, and Mikhail in Russian. While the spelling Mikha'el is primarily used in historical and religious contexts, the name Michael itself became the most popular male name in the United States for four decades, emphasizing its timeless appeal.