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

Mitzel, 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 Mitzel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Mitzel in America

Mitzel is the 15483rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Mitzel surname appeared 1,891 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 Mitzel.

We can also compare 2010 data for Mitzel 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 Mitzel

The surname Mitzel is of German origin and dates back to the early Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Old German word "mitzel," which means "small" or "petite." This suggests that the name may have initially been used as a nickname for someone of small stature.

In its earliest forms, the name was often spelled as "Mitzell" or "Mitzle." These variations can be found in historical records and manuscripts from the 12th and 13th centuries, particularly in regions like Bavaria and Saxony.

One of the earliest known references to the name Mitzel can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of historical documents from the region of Saxony. The codex includes a record from the year 1256, mentioning a man named "Heinricus Mitzell" as a witness in a legal document.

Another notable historical figure bearing the surname Mitzel was Johannes Mitzel, a German mathematician and astronomer who lived in the 16th century (c. 1510 - 1580). He is known for his contributions to the field of trigonometry and for his work on celestial observations.

In the 17th century, the name Mitzel appears in records from the town of Kirchheim unter Teck in Baden-Württemberg, where a family by the name of Mitzel was prominent in the local community. One member, Hans Mitzel (1620 - 1684), served as the town's mayor for several years.

During the 18th century, the surname Mitzel gained recognition in the field of literature with the poet and playwright Johann Christoph Mitzel (1701 - 1758). Born in Zwickau, Saxony, he is remembered for his satirical works and for his contributions to the development of German theater.

Another notable figure from the 19th century was Karl Mitzel (1819 - 1897), a German-American architect and civil engineer. He emigrated to the United States in the 1840s and was responsible for designing several notable buildings, including the Old State Capitol in Springfield, Illinois.

While the surname Mitzel is not as common today as it once was, it continues to hold historical significance, particularly in regions of Germany where its roots can be traced back several centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Mitzel

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

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

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

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