Why is the most common nickname for the name “Michael” in the US Mike/Mikey, but in the UK it’s Mick/Mickey?

I think to many Americans, the name Mike sounds like the natural shortened form of Michael. MY-KULL to MYK. Even though we say MY-KULL, this is Anglicized, but the origins are Hebrew and the name is pronounced differently. MEE-KAH-ALE, a combination of three Hebrew words (MI - WHO) (KA - LIKE) (EL - GOD).  There is also the word Chel (Khale) which means fortress, and Mashal which means to rule/govern -- which sounds closer to Michelle to me

michail  

micheal

michell

michoel

mickael

mikal

maicol

mikel

maxel

mykel

these are males names 

Preference.  I know several Michaels who go by Mick or Mickey.

The there's 'Crocodile Dundee'. He was Michael J (Crocodile) Dundee, known as 'Mick'. In Dundee (III) he had his 'son'  'Mikey' and the boxer ' Mike (Tyson) in the film.  

Obviously it would be mike ( in America. Most don’t use anything else)

Can't say I've noticed this, I'm from England and most Michaels I know go by Mike. I think Mick is more of an Irish thing, so maybe that's why it's popular in America too, as a lot of Irish people emigrated there. 

Mike..........................................

I don't know about the UK, but in the US, it's because Mick and Mickey are nicknames for people whose names start "Mc" or Mac," like McKenzie or Macauley.