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

Mitre, 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 Mitre surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Mitre in America

Mitre is the 44034th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Mitre surname appeared 489 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 Mitre.

We can also compare 2010 data for Mitre 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 Mitre

The surname MITRE has its origins in France, tracing back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old French word "mitre," which refers to the ceremonial headdress worn by bishops and abbots. This word has its roots in the Latin "mitra," which ultimately comes from the Ancient Greek "mitra," meaning a type of headband or turban.

In medieval France, the surname MITRE was likely first adopted as an occupational name for someone involved in the production or sale of mitres, or perhaps someone who worked closely with members of the clergy who wore these distinctive headpieces. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in various charters and taxation records from the regions of Normandy and Brittany.

One notable early bearer of the MITRE surname was Jean Mitre, a cleric who served as the Bishop of Avranches in Normandy from 1170 to 1182. Another was Guillaume Mitre, a merchant from Rouen who is mentioned in a trade document dated 1276.

The MITRE name also appears in the famous Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land and property ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This record includes a reference to a landowner named Radulfus Mitre, who held estates in the county of Lincolnshire.

As the surname spread across France and into other parts of Europe, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Mytre, Mittre, and Mitter. Some bearers of the name may have been refugees or descendants of Huguenots who fled religious persecution in France during the 16th and 17th centuries.

In the 16th century, a notable individual named Antoine Mitre (c. 1532-1596) was a French mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the field of cartography. Another person of note was Jacques Mitre (1609-1681), a French cleric and writer who served as the Bishop of Angers.

During the 18th century, a French nobleman named Charles-François Mitre (1738-1818) gained prominence as a military officer and politician, serving as a deputy in the Estates-General during the early stages of the French Revolution.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Mitre

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!