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

Mitchum, 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 Mitchum surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Mitchum in America

Mitchum is the 8602nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Mitchum surname appeared 3,827 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Mitchum.

We can also compare 2010 data for Mitchum 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 Mitchum

The surname Mitchum is of English origin and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is believed to have originated from the Old English words "mycc" meaning "big" and "ham" meaning "homestead" or "village". This suggests that the name was initially given to someone who lived in a large village or settlement.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Mitchum can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, which were census records compiled during the reign of King Edward I. The name appears as "Micheham", which was likely the spelling used at the time.

In the 14th century, the name was also documented in the Subsidy Rolls for Yorkshire, where it was spelled as "Mitcham". This variation in spelling was common during that era, as standardized spelling conventions had not yet been established.

The Mitchum surname is also associated with several place names across England. For example, Mitcham in Surrey was originally recorded as "Michelham" in the Domesday Book of 1086. This suggests that the surname may have derived from the place name in some cases.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Mitchum was John Mitchum, who was born around 1450 in Gloucestershire, England. Another notable figure was Sir Edward Mitchum (1573-1642), a member of the English gentry and a supporter of the Royalist cause during the English Civil War.

During the 17th century, the Mitchum surname gained prominence in the American colonies. One of the earliest recorded instances was William Mitchum, who was born in 1635 in Virginia and became a prominent landowner and planter.

In the 19th century, Robert Mitchum (1817-1891) was a British politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Salford. Another notable figure was Robert Mitchum (1917-1997), an American actor and cultural icon known for his roles in classic films such as "Out of the Past" and "The Night of the Hunter".

Other notable individuals with the Mitchum surname include:

1. Charles Mitchum (1919-1995), an American actor and brother of Robert Mitchum.
2. Jonathan Mitchum (1919-1992), an American actor and nephew of Robert Mitchum.
3. Trini Mitchum (1934-2020), an American actress and daughter of Robert Mitchum.
4. Bentley Mitchum (born 1957), an American actor and grandson of Robert Mitchum.

The Mitchum surname has remained prominent throughout history, with its origins rooted in the English language and associated with various place names across England. While the spelling and pronunciation may have evolved over time, the name has maintained its connection to its Old English roots.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Mitchum

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

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 Mitchum 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 Mitchum 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 Mitchum was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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