The baby name Chiel is a Male name , 1 syllables long and is pronounced {'ipa': '/xiːl/', 'anglicized': '/kiːl/', 'respelling': "kheel (approx. 'keel' in English)"}.
Chiel is Dutch in Origin.
The baby name Chiel is a Male name , 1 syllables long and is pronounced {'ipa': '/xiːl/', 'anglicized': '/kiːl/', 'respelling': "kheel (approx. 'keel' in English)"}.
Chiel is Dutch in Origin.
Chiel is a Dutch short form of Michiel, the Dutch equivalent of Michael. It arises as a hypocoristic formed by dropping the initial syllable, a pattern common in Dutch given names. Through its link to Hebrew Mikha'el, it carries the theophoric meaning 'Who is like God?', a rhetorical question affirming God's uniqueness. In Dutch, the initial ch is guttural, approximated as 'heel' to English ears.
Used independently since the mid‑20th century in the Netherlands and Flanders, Chiel moved from nickname to official given name and saw modest popularity late in the 20th century. Variants and related forms include Dutch Michiel, Giel and Miel; English Michael and Mike; French Michel; German Michael; Irish Mícheál; Italian Michele; Scandinavian Mikael; Spanish and Portuguese Miguel; Slavic Mihail/Mihajlo; and Russian Mikhail.
Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.
| Country | Gender | Year | Rank | Born | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belgium | Boys | 1995 | #231 | 19 | 433 |
| TW | Girls | 0 | #289 | 1 | 8,139 |
| GT | 0 | #338 | 1 | 5,948 | |
| NL | 0 | #348 | 44 | 2,481 | |
| NL | Boys | 0 | #350 | 999 | 5,873 |
| PT | Boys | 0 | #381 | 1 | 7,951 |
| PH | Boys | 0 | #408 | 1 | 11,440 |
| PH | Girls | 0 | #427 | 3 | 13,098 |
| KW | Girls | 0 | #560 | 2 | 19,177 |
| PS | Boys | 0 | #561 | 1 | 10,655 |
| IL | Boys | 0 | #625 | 1 | 10,983 |
| SG | Girls | 0 | #632 | 1 | 18,916 |
| IL | Girls | 0 | #644 | 2 | 11,648 |
| HK | Girls | 0 | #650 | 1 | 16,104 |
| SA | Girls | 0 | #1,012 | 3 | 25,931 |
| MY | Girls | 0 | #1,071 | 2 | 24,821 |
| MY | Boys | 0 | #1,180 | 3 | 25,439 |
| DZ | 0 | #1,234 | 1 | 20,130 | |
| ZA | Boys | 0 | #1,272 | 1 | 25,619 |
| SA | Boys | 0 | #1,691 | 1 | 28,008 |
Chiel is popular in 15 countries — most recent births per country:
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