2000
#143,847
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Mitlo
A surname potentially derived from a German or Central European place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Mitlo. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mitlo 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.
Bearers in the US
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Mitlo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mitlo, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Black (2.5%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mitlo
The surname MITLO originated in the central European region now known as Poland. Records indicate that the name first appeared in written form during the 12th century in the town of Mitlów, a small village located near the present-day city of Kalisz. It is believed that the name derived from the old Polish word "mitlować," which translates to "to twist or wind." This suggests that MITLO may have originally referred to an occupation or trade involving twisting or winding materials, such as rope-making or weaving.
One of the earliest known references to the MITLO surname can be found in a medieval manuscript from 1287, which mentions a landowner named Jan MITLO in the Wielkopolska region. This document provides valuable insight into the prevalence and distribution of the name during that era.
In the 14th century, a notable figure named Piotr MITLO was a respected merchant and citizen of the city of Kraków. His name appears in several trade records and municipal archives from that period, indicating the family's prominence in the local community.
During the Renaissance, a scholar and philosopher named Jakub MITLO (1512-1582) gained recognition for his works on moral philosophy and ethics. His writings were widely circulated throughout Europe and influenced the intellectual discourse of the time.
In the 18th century, a military leader named Andrzej MITLO (1738-1807) distinguished himself in the Polish-Russian War of 1792. He rose through the ranks of the Polish army and played a pivotal role in several key battles, earning him a place in the annals of Polish military history.
Another individual of note was Zofia MITLO (1825-1898), a renowned artist and painter whose works captured the landscapes and everyday life of rural Poland. Her paintings are celebrated for their vivid colors and attention to detail, and several of her pieces are part of prominent museum collections.
Throughout its history, the MITLO surname has been associated with various locations and place names in central Europe, such as the towns of Mitlówka, Mitlówek, and Mitlowo. These place names likely derived from the same linguistic roots as the surname itself, reflecting the close connection between surnames and geographic origins in that region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mitlo
Among Census respondents with the surname Mitlo, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Black (2.5%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Mitlo 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 Mitlo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.7% · 111
- Black or African American2.5% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 3
- Two or more races2.5% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mitlo
Mitlo 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
#129,825
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 131
+25 bearers (+23.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 14,022 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-10 bearers (-7.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,484 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #143,847 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #129,825 | 131 | 0.04 | +25 bearers (+23.6%) | Up 14,022 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | -10 bearers (-7.6%) | Down 11,484 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 Mitlo 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 | #129,825 | #141,309 | -8.8% |
| Count | 131 | 121 | -7.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mitlo bearers went from 131 to 121 (-7.6% change). The surname moved down 11,484 positions in the national ranking, going from #129,825 to #141,309.
FAQ
Mitlo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mitlo?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Mitlo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Mitlo?
Mitlo ranks #141,309 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 121 people with the surname Mitlo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Mitlo.
Has Mitlo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mitlo went from 131 recorded bearers to 121. That is a decrease of 10 (-7.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #129,825 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Mitlo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mitlo, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Black (2.5%) and Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Mitlo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.7% (111 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mitlo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.7%), Black (2.5%), Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Mitlo (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 Mitlo mean?
A surname potentially derived from a German or Central European place name. 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 Mitlo (0.04 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 are called Mitlo?
Want to know how common the surname Mitlo is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.