Michelangelo
/ˌmiːkəlˈændʒəloʊ/noun
An Italian masculine given name meaning “Michael the angel,” famously borne by the Renaissance artist Michelangelo Buonarroti.
Did you know?Michelangelo is a compound of the Hebrew archangel-name Mikha'el (“Who is like God?”) and Greek angelos (“messenger”), so the name fuses a question of divine power with a heavenly envoy.
Etymological Timeline
Hebrew Antiquity
Hebrew
Mikha'el
““Who is like God?” — a rhetorical question used as a personal and angelic name”
Ancient Greek
Greek
angelos
“messenger; envoy”
Late Antiquity
Latin
Michahel
“Latin form of Michael, used in Christian tradition”
Medieval Italian
Italian
Michele Angelo
“A compound personal name combining Michael and Angelo”
Renaissance Italy
Italian
Michelangelo
“Joined form of the compound name, later strongly associated with Michelangelo Buonarroti”
Modern English
English
Michelangelo
“The Italian artist’s name, and by extension the given name itself”