2000
#44
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 367,433
First available Census row
Per 100,000 136.21
Common Last name
Mitchell
An occupational surname referring to a person who was a big person or the leader of a community.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 426,701 Americans carry the last name Mitchell. That puts it at #47 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 124.49 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 803 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mitchell 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 Mitchell with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
427K
1 in 803
Census rank
#47
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
124.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
372K
common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 372,104 bearers of the surname Mitchell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 124.49 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 47th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mitchell, the largest self-reported group is White at 58.4%. The next largest groups are Black (31.8%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mitchell
Among Census respondents with the surname Mitchell, the largest self-reported group is White at 58.4%. The next largest groups are Black (31.8%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Mitchell 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 Mitchell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White58.4% · 217,316
- Black or African American31.8% · 118,205
- Two or more races4.7% · 17,339
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 13,408
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 3,577
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 2,259
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mitchell
Mitchell 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
#48
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 384,486
+17,053 bearers (+4.6%)
Per 100,000 130.34
Rank movement Down 4 places
2020
#47
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 372,104
-12,382 bearers (-3.2%)
Per 100,000 124.49
Rank movement Up 1 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #44 | 367,433 | 136.21 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #48 | 384,486 | 130.34 | +17,053 bearers (+4.6%) | Down 4 places |
| 2020 | #47 | 372,104 | 124.49 | -12,382 bearers (-3.2%) | Up 1 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 Mitchell 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 | #48 | #47 | 2.1% |
| Count | 384,486 | 372,104 | -3.2% |
| Per 100K | 130.34 | 124.49 | -4.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mitchell bearers went from 384,486 to 372,104 (-3.2% change). The surname moved up 1 positions in the national ranking, going from #48 to #47.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Mitchell
FAQ
Mitchell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mitchell?
Name Census estimates that about 426,701 living Americans carry the surname Mitchell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 803 residents.
How common is Mitchell?
Mitchell ranks #47 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 124.49 per 100,000 residents, which is about 124 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 372,104 people with the surname Mitchell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (426,701), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 124.49 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 124.49 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 124 of them to have the surname Mitchell.
Has Mitchell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mitchell went from 384,486 recorded bearers to 372,104. That is a decrease of 12,382 (-3.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #48 to #47.
What does the Census say about the background of Mitchell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mitchell, the largest self-reported group is White at 58.4%. The next largest groups are Black (31.8%) and Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Mitchell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 58.4% (217,316 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mitchell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (58.4%), Black (31.8%), Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Mitchell (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 Mitchell mean?
An occupational surname referring to a person who was a big person or the leader of a community. 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 Mitchell (124.49 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 share the surname Mitchell?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.