My Name: Michael

Some Famous Michaels.

The name Michael was originally a Hebrew name, and literally means "who is like God?" St. Michael is the only archangel listed in the old testament, and was a common name for Byzantine Emperors. Specifically, I was named after my maternal grandfather, who died a few years before I was born. According to my mom, he would usually go by the nickname Mike, which I also usually go by. I kind of like the fact that I am named after him as it makes me feel somewhat connected to him, even though we never got the chance to meet. I like the idea of naming kids after past relatives as I think that it forces kids to think about their past and reflect on their roots.

A few other things about my name. My last name is Isenberg, which in German means iron mountain. My middle name is Benjamin, which I got from my paternal grandfather's cousin. Most of my college friends call me Mikey, as there were three different Mikes on my freshman floor, and it was a way for them to differentiate me from the other Mikes. This was usually an issue for me, as Michael is the fifth most common name in the US, so there were almost always other Michaels around.