Find out how popular the last name Mitchell is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Mitchell.

Mitchell, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Mitchell surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Mitchell in America

Mitchell is the 48th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Mitchell surname appeared 384,486 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 130 people would have the surname Mitchell.

We can also compare 2010 data for Mitchell to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Mitchell

The surname Mitchell has its origins in England, deriving from the medieval given name Michel, which itself is a Norman variation of the Hebrew name Michael, meaning "who is like God." The name Michel was brought to England by Norman settlers after the Norman Conquest of 1066.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Mitchell can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Michel" in various counties across England, including Hertfordshire, Essex, and Cambridgeshire. Over time, the name evolved into various spellings such as Michell, Mitchel, and eventually Mitchell.

During the Middle Ages, the surname Mitchell was particularly prevalent in northern England, especially in counties like Yorkshire and Northumberland. This suggests that the name may have been adopted by families living in or near places with names derived from the old English word "mycel," meaning "great" or "large."

One notable early bearer of the surname was John Mitchell (c. 1515-1551), a Protestant reformer and theologian who played a significant role in the English Reformation. Another prominent figure was Sir Francis Mitchell (1609-1708), an English judge and politician who served as Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench.

In the 18th century, the surname Mitchell gained prominence in Scotland, with several notable figures bearing the name. These include Sir Andrew Mitchell (1708-1771), a Scottish diplomat and politician who served as the British Envoy to Prussia, and James Mitchell (1786-1844), a Scottish surveyor and explorer known for his exploration of Australia.

During the 19th century, the Mitchell surname spread across the British Empire, with many bearers settling in countries like Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. One notable Australian figure was Sir Thomas Mitchell (1792-1855), a surveyor and explorer who is regarded as one of the greatest explorers of Australia's interior.

Other notable individuals with the surname Mitchell include Maria Mitchell (1818-1889), an American astronomer who was the first professional female astronomer in the United States, and Billy Mitchell (1879-1936), a pioneer of military aviation and a key figure in the development of the United States Air Force.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Mitchell

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Mitchell.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Mitchell was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Mitchell has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Mitchell was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Mitchell, please contact us.

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