2000
#8,748
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,458
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.28
Rare Last name
Mike
A shortened form of a given name, such as Michael or Micah, used as a surname.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,891 Americans carry the last name Mike. That puts it at #9,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.14 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 88,089 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mike 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Mike with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.9K
1 in 88,089
Census rank
#9,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,393 bearers of the surname Mike in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.14 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mike, the largest self-reported group is White at 35.2%. The next largest groups are Black (33.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (18.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mike
The surname MIKE has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to be a locational name derived from the Old English words "mīc" and "hām," which together mean "big home." This suggests that the name was originally given to someone who lived in a large or prominent dwelling.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name MIKE can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Michehame." This entry refers to a place name in Hertfordshire, England, which further supports the locational origin of the surname.
During the 13th century, the name began to appear in various forms, such as "Mykham," "Mykam," and "Mikeham," reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling at the time.
A notable early bearer of the surname was John Mykham, born in 1285 in Oxfordshire, England. He was a prominent churchman who served as the Bishop of Bath and Wells from 1328 until his death in 1349.
Another historical figure was Sir William Mykham, a knight and landowner who lived in the 14th century. He is mentioned in several records related to land transactions and legal disputes in the county of Essex.
In the 16th century, the name MIKE was also associated with a family of wealthy merchants based in London. Thomas Myke, born in 1532, was a successful trader who amassed a considerable fortune through his business ventures.
The MIKE surname has also been traced to various place names in England, such as Mickleham in Surrey and Mickleton in Gloucestershire. These locations likely contributed to the spread and adoption of the name in different regions.
Other notable individuals with the surname MIKE include:
1. Robert Myke (1568-1640), an English playwright and poet during the Elizabethan era.
2. Elizabeth Mykham (1624-1678), a Puritan woman known for her detailed diary documenting life in colonial America.
3. John Mycke (1745-1821), a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War.
4. Henry Mykham (1810-1892), a prominent architect responsible for designing several churches and public buildings in London.
5. Emily Mykke (1867-1944), a British suffragette and activist for women's rights.
While the surname MIKE has evolved over time and may have taken on different spellings or variations, its origins can be traced back to the medieval period in England, where it was likely derived from a locational or place name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mike
Among Census respondents with the surname Mike, the largest self-reported group is White at 35.2%. The next largest groups are Black (33.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (18.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Mike 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 Mike surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White35.2% · 1,195
- Black or African American33.9% · 1,150
- American Indian and Alaska Native18.8% · 638
- Two or more races4.6% · 157
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 140
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.3% · 113
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mike
Mike 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
#8,408
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,930
+472 bearers (+13.6%)
Per 100,000 1.33
Rank movement Up 340 places
2020
#9,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,393
-537 bearers (-13.7%)
Per 100,000 1.14
Rank movement Down 813 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,748 | 3,458 | 1.28 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,408 | 3,930 | 1.33 | +472 bearers (+13.6%) | Up 340 places |
| 2020 | #9,221 | 3,393 | 1.14 | -537 bearers (-13.7%) | Down 813 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 Mike 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 | #8,408 | #9,221 | -9.7% |
| Count | 3,930 | 3,393 | -13.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.33 | 1.14 | -14.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mike bearers went from 3,930 to 3,393 (-13.7% change). The surname moved down 813 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,408 to #9,221.
FAQ
Mike surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mike?
Name Census estimates that about 3,891 living Americans carry the surname Mike. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 88,089 residents.
How common is Mike?
Mike ranks #9,221 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.14 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 3,393 people with the surname Mike. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,891), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.14 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.14 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 Mike.
Has Mike become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mike went from 3,930 recorded bearers to 3,393. That is a decrease of 537 (-13.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,408 to #9,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Mike?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mike, the largest self-reported group is White at 35.2%. The next largest groups are Black (33.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (18.8%). 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 Mike in the 2020 Census, accounting for 35.2% (1,195 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mike appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (35.2%), Black (33.9%), American Indian/Alaska Native (18.8%). 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 Mike (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 Mike mean?
A shortened form of a given name, such as Michael or Micah, used as a surname. 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 Mike (1.14 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 Americans have the surname Mike?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.