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The dated version is Michelle. And I've known (and worse - taught!) so many of them that it makes me fall asleep standing up, in spite of the Beatles' best endeavours.

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Michèle, even without the accent, is a different matter. Or perhaps it's just that I've got two very good friends who are one-L Micheles, one of them French. It seems more elegant and energetic as well as a whole lot less of a cliche.

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I had a boyfriend once with a Michelle sister who went by Shelley. Didn't like her much. But all the other Shelleys I've known have been "after the poet".

I really like this name, it probably helps that it's the name of one of my best friends. I do also know some younger Michelles though, one is 3 and another would be 6 now. I think it's refreshing to hear. It would be lovely as a MN.

Aside from finding it dated, I don't like it. It's boring and not my style. I don't like any '-chelle' names and few '-elle' names.

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Nicknames: Mitch, Mischa / Misha, Elle / Ellie, Mel / Mellie

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This message was edited 6/18/2015, 12:31 PM

I like it a lot, I actually like quite a lot of names that fall into the category of "dated French feminizations - Danielle, Stephanie, Nicole, etc. Michelle is really pretty, soft and understated, and also a really nice pastel pink color to me. It does make an especially good middle name, doubly so because it's honoring! I think it would make a really good choice.

I like Michelle, though I do prefer Michaela or some variation of that. It will be perfect as an MN though.

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For nicknames, I agree with you. I'd use Misha or Mikey.

I happen to really like Michelle.

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I know that it is dated, but leaving that aside it is a beautiful name.

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We considered using it with the nickname Michi. It's still on our list, but not at the top.

I think Michelle would make a great middle name and does refer nicely to Michael. It probably has good flow in combos, too, because of the stress.

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I've never met a Michelle who went by Shelly either - all the Shellys I've met are just Shelly.

It's hard to be objective - one of my favorite people in this world is named Michelle, and one of my least favorite people is also named Michelle!

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Anyway, I've never quite understood the appeal. I've always seen it as a bit weak and baby-ish. Even when I was a little girl myself and met Michelle's, I always just found it strange. The prominent "sh" sound is weird to me. It often becomes more like "mush-elle" when said quickly, which is also unappealing.

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It makes a fine middle name, but I much prefer Michaela to honor a Michael.

This message was edited 6/18/2015, 8:32 AM

As a middle name, I don't think it's dated. It goes well with a lot of first names and has been popular as a middle name for a good long while. Though it is more dated as a first name I think it's still attractive and not outstanding in its datedness.
I know one Michelle who is called Mickey, but all the other Michelles I've known have just been Michelle, and the two Shelleys I have known weren't nns for anything. (There was a girl in high school with me named Shelliette, but she never went by Shelley.)

It's okay, much better than most feminisations, and makes a nice middle name. I think a quite out-there first name would be nice, stopping it from becoming filler. I also think that a nickname wouldn't be necessary, though if you needed one, I'd use Misa. All the Michelles I know go by the full name. Alternatively, it could be good as a first name- less expected. It's miles nicer than Michaela, which has been tryndee-fied with the rise of McKayla and the likes.

This message was edited 6/18/2015, 8:06 AM

I almost never meet anyone named Michelle that went by Shelly.

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I like Michelle, honestly. It's my favorite Mich- name.

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I also really like the song by the Beatles, which is the first thing I think of.

This message was edited 6/18/2015, 11:50 AM