Micah is a masculine given name derived from the Hebrew name Mikha (מִיכָה), meaning "Who is like God?" or more precisely a contracted form of Micaiah, which in its longer form Michaiah (מִיכָיְהוּ) means "Who is like Yahweh?" This rhetorical question is a proclamation of faith in the uniqueness of the God of Israel. In the Old Testament, Micah is one of the twelve minor prophets, active in the 8th century BCE. He authored the Book of Micah, a prophetic work that alternates between oracles of judgment against social injustice and idolatry and promises of future restoration and peace, famously including the prophecy that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2). The name also appears in the Book of Judges (chapters 17–18), where a man named Micah creates an idol and hires a Levite as a priest, later leading to the migration of the tribe of Dan. After the Protestant Reformation, Puritans revived the name from the Bible, embracing Old Testament names that expressed piety. However, Micah did not gain widespread popularity until the late 20th century. In recent decades it has become a common English given name, appreciated for its biblical heritage and soft sound. Variant forms include Micaiah and Michaiah in Hebrew and English, as well as the English biblical variant Micajah. In German and Dutch, the name is spelled Micha, where the sound of ch can vary. The name shares its root with Michael, which means "Who is like God?" in Hebrew, though Micah's short form carries no divine element by itself. Notable Bearers Notable people named Micah include Micah Abernathy (born 1997), an American football player; Micah Abraham (born 2000), an American football cornerback; and Micah Aiu (born 1988), an American politician from Hawaii. Cultural Significance The name Micah has strong religious associations across Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. It embodies a central theme of monotheism—the incomparability of God—and serves as a perpetual reminder of humility before the divine. Meaning: Who is like God (contracted from Micaiah) Origin: Hebrew Type: First name Usage: English, English Bible; also used in German (Micha) and other languages