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

Mite, 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 Mite surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Mite in America

Mite is the 144141st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Mite surname appeared 115 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Mite.

We can also compare 2010 data for Mite 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 Mite

The surname MITE originated in England, with the earliest records dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "mite," meaning a small insect or a very small amount. The name likely referred to someone of small stature or someone who was considered insignificant or unimportant.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname MITE can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which were census records from the reign of King Edward I. The name is listed as "Myte" in these records.

In the 14th century, the MITE surname appeared in several Yorkshire records, including the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. This suggests that the name may have been particularly prevalent in that region of England during that time period.

The Domesday Book, a great survey of land and property commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the surname MITE. However, it does mention several place names that could be related to the name's origins, such as "Mitebi" in Lincolnshire.

One notable individual with the MITE surname was John Mite, a 15th-century English clergyman who served as the Archdeacon of Berkshire and Warden of New College, Oxford. He was born around 1420 and died in 1492.

Another historical figure was Sir Hugh Mite, a 16th-century English landowner and member of Parliament. He was born in 1520 and represented the borough of Chippenham in the Parliament of 1555.

In the 17th century, Thomas Mite was a prominent merchant and ship owner in the city of Bristol. He was actively involved in the slave trade and owned several ships that transported enslaved Africans to the Caribbean and North America.

During the 18th century, a notable individual with the MITE surname was William Mite, an English botanist and naturalist. He was born in 1735 and is best known for his work on the flora of the British Isles and his contributions to the study of lichens.

In the 19th century, one of the most prominent individuals with the MITE surname was Sir James Mite, a British military officer and explorer. Born in 1820, he served in the East India Company's army and later led several expeditions to explore and map regions of Africa and Asia.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Mite

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

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

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

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