2000
#13,112
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,138
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.79
Rare Last name
Mickel
An occupational surname referring to a person who made or repaired sickles or scythes.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,399 Americans carry the last name Mickel. That puts it at #13,835 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.70 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 142,874 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mickel surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
2.4K
1 in 142,874
Census rank
#13,835
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,092 bearers of the surname Mickel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.70 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13835th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mickel, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.8%. The next largest groups are Black (22.9%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mickel
The surname Mickel originated in medieval Scotland. It is derived from the Old English words "mycel" or "mickle", meaning "great" or "big". The name likely referred to a person's large stature or important status in the community.
The earliest known records of the Mickel surname date back to the 13th century. In 1296, a Robert Mickill from Berwickshire swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. The name appeared in various spellings such as Mickill, Mykill, and Mekill in ancient Scottish charters and manuscripts.
During the 16th century, the Mickel name was prominent in the Scottish Borders region. One notable bearer was John Mekill, a merchant and burgess of Edinburgh, who lived from around 1510 to 1580. He was a wealthy landowner and played a significant role in the city's affairs.
In the 17th century, the Mickels were well-established in Aberdeenshire and Kincardineshire. William Mickel, born in 1630, was a respected minister who served in the Parish of Arbuthnott for over 50 years until his death in 1703.
During the 18th century, the Mickels spread throughout Scotland and some migrated to England and Ireland. One prominent figure was James Mickel, born in 1738, a successful merchant and philanthropist in Glasgow. He donated generously to various charitable causes and helped establish the Glasgow Town's Hospital.
Another notable bearer was Sir Alexander Mickel, born in 1765, a distinguished Scottish judge and Lord of Session. He served as a member of the College of Justice, the highest civil court in Scotland, until his death in 1832.
As the Mickels moved to other parts of the British Isles and beyond, the name underwent various spelling changes, including Mickle, Mickell, and Mickael. Despite these variations, the surname has retained its Scottish roots and association with a person of significant stature or importance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mickel
Among Census respondents with the surname Mickel, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.8%. The next largest groups are Black (22.9%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Mickel bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Mickel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White67.8% · 1,418
- Black or African American22.9% · 480
- Two or more races4.2% · 88
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 77
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 20
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mickel
Mickel appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#13,360
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,281
+143 bearers (+6.7%)
Per 100,000 0.77
Rank movement Down 248 places
2020
#13,835
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,092
-189 bearers (-8.3%)
Per 100,000 0.70
Rank movement Down 475 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,112 | 2,138 | 0.79 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,360 | 2,281 | 0.77 | +143 bearers (+6.7%) | Down 248 places |
| 2020 | #13,835 | 2,092 | 0.70 | -189 bearers (-8.3%) | Down 475 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Mickel surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #13,360 | #13,835 | -3.6% |
| Count | 2,281 | 2,092 | -8.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.77 | 0.70 | -9.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mickel bearers went from 2,281 to 2,092 (-8.3% change). The surname moved down 475 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,360 to #13,835.
FAQ
Mickel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mickel?
Name Census estimates that about 2,399 living Americans carry the surname Mickel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 142,874 residents.
How common is Mickel?
Mickel ranks #13,835 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.70 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,092 people with the surname Mickel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,399), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.7 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.70 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Mickel.
Has Mickel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mickel went from 2,281 recorded bearers to 2,092. That is a decrease of 189 (-8.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,360 to #13,835.
What does the Census say about the background of Mickel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mickel, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.8%. The next largest groups are Black (22.9%) and Two or More Races (4.2%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Mickel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 67.8% (1,418 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mickel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (67.8%), Black (22.9%), Two or More Races (4.2%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Mickel (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Mickel mean?
An occupational surname referring to a person who made or repaired sickles or scythes. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Mickel (0.70 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Mickel?
You can see how many people are called Mickel on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.