2000
#7,186
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,282
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.59
Rare Last name
Mickey
An anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Miadhaigh, meaning "descendant of Miadhach," a personal name meaning "honorable."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,156 Americans carry the last name Mickey. That puts it at #8,692 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.21 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 82,472 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mickey 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
4.2K
1 in 82,472
Census rank
#8,692
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,624 bearers of the surname Mickey in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.21 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8692nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mickey, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.3%. The next largest groups are Black (18.8%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mickey
The surname Mickey is believed to have originated in England, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 13th century. The name is derived from the Medieval English nickname "Mick," which was a diminutive form of the given name "Michael." This nickname was often used as a distinguishing surname for individuals with the name Michael, particularly in areas with a high concentration of people bearing that name.
One of the earliest documented instances of the surname Mickey can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which recorded landowners and taxpayers in England. This record mentions a "Willelmus filius Mick" (William, son of Mick) in Oxfordshire.
During the 14th century, the surname Mickey appeared in various spellings, such as "Micky," "Mickie," and "Mickye," reflecting the fluid nature of surname spellings in those times. The name was prevalent in counties like Lancashire, Yorkshire, and Lincolnshire, where it was often associated with families of humble origin or those engaged in agricultural or rural occupations.
Notable individuals bearing the surname Mickey include Sir John Mickey (c. 1450-1522), a prominent English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Hertfordshire. Another early record is that of Thomas Mickey (c. 1520-1589), a clergyman and theologian who was appointed as the Archdeacon of Essex in 1583.
In the 17th century, the surname Mickey was found in various parts of England, with William Mickey (1617-1679) being a notable figure. He was a successful merchant and member of the East India Company, known for his involvement in the early trade with India.
The 18th century saw the rise of John Mickey (1725-1801), a renowned English architect who designed several notable buildings, including the Old Bailey courthouse in London.
As the Mickey surname spread across the British Isles, it also found its way to other parts of the world through migration and colonization. For instance, James Mickey (1782-1857) was an Irish-born American soldier who served in the War of 1812 and later became a prominent figure in the state of Ohio.
Throughout its history, the surname Mickey has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, ranging from landowners and clergymen to merchants and soldiers. While its exact origins may be obscured by time, the name's enduring presence serves as a testament to its rich heritage and the diverse stories of those who have borne it.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mickey
Among Census respondents with the surname Mickey, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.3%. The next largest groups are Black (18.8%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Mickey 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 Mickey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White73.3% · 2,658
- Black or African American18.8% · 681
- Two or more races3.8% · 136
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 109
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 27
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mickey
Mickey 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
#8,259
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,012
-270 bearers (-6.3%)
Per 100,000 1.36
Rank movement Down 1,073 places
2020
#8,692
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,624
-388 bearers (-9.7%)
Per 100,000 1.21
Rank movement Down 433 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,186 | 4,282 | 1.59 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,259 | 4,012 | 1.36 | -270 bearers (-6.3%) | Down 1,073 places |
| 2020 | #8,692 | 3,624 | 1.21 | -388 bearers (-9.7%) | Down 433 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 Mickey 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 | #8,259 | #8,692 | -5.2% |
| Count | 4,012 | 3,624 | -9.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.36 | 1.21 | -10.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mickey bearers went from 4,012 to 3,624 (-9.7% change). The surname moved down 433 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,259 to #8,692.
FAQ
Mickey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mickey?
Name Census estimates that about 4,156 living Americans carry the surname Mickey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 82,472 residents.
How common is Mickey?
Mickey ranks #8,692 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.21 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 3,624 people with the surname Mickey. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,156), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.21 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.21 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 Mickey.
Has Mickey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mickey went from 4,012 recorded bearers to 3,624. That is a decrease of 388 (-9.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,259 to #8,692.
What does the Census say about the background of Mickey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mickey, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.3%. The next largest groups are Black (18.8%) and Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Mickey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 73.3% (2,658 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mickey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (73.3%), Black (18.8%), Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Mickey (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 Mickey mean?
An anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Miadhaigh, meaning "descendant of Miadhach," a personal name meaning "honorable." 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 Mickey (1.21 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 surname Mickey?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.