Micah

This interesting surname derives from the hebrew male given name Micah meaning "who is like the Lord", and was an alternative form of Michael which is ultimately from the Hebrew "Micha-el", the war cry of the Archangel Michael, meaning "Who is like God". Micah was one of the Minor Prophets and his name was especially popular with Calvinists, which accounts for its choice by Conan Doyle in his historical novel "Micah Clarke". The name came to England only in the 12th Century and its popularity gave rise to a wide variety of diminutives and pet forms including Miche, Michie, Mihiel, Miles etc.. One, Miche de Sancto Albano was noted in the "Hundred Rolls of London", dated 1275, and an Adam Miche appears in the 1327 "Subsidy Rolls of Essex". On June 7th 1719 William, son of Alexander Micah, was christened in St. Dunstans, Stepney, London and on January 11th 1756 Thomas Micah was christened in St. Sepulchre, London. The marriage of Morgan Micah and Mary Thomas took place in Coychurch, Glamorgan, Wales on April 9th 1800. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Robert Miche, which was dated 1279, "The Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire", during the reign of King Edward 1st, "The Hammer of the Scots", 1272 - 1307. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.