2000
#14,664
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,859
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.69
Rare Last name
Mitzel
A German surname derived from the Middle High German word 'mitzel' meaning cut or slit.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,099 Americans carry the last name Mitzel. That puts it at #15,430 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.61 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 163,294 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mitzel 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
2.1K
1 in 163,294
Census rank
#15,430
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,830 bearers of the surname Mitzel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.61 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15430th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mitzel, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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of the earliest known references to the name Mitzel can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of historical documents from the region of Saxony.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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mitzel
Among Census respondents with the surname Mitzel, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Mitzel 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 Mitzel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.1% · 1,703
- Two or more races3.2% · 58
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 35
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 15
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 13
- Black or African American0.3% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mitzel
Mitzel 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
#15,483
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,891
+32 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.64
Rank movement Down 819 places
2020
#15,430
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,830
-61 bearers (-3.2%)
Per 100,000 0.61
Rank movement Up 53 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,664 | 1,859 | 0.69 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,483 | 1,891 | 0.64 | +32 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 819 places |
| 2020 | #15,430 | 1,830 | 0.61 | -61 bearers (-3.2%) | Up 53 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 Mitzel 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 | #15,483 | #15,430 | 0.3% |
| Count | 1,891 | 1,830 | -3.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.64 | 0.61 | -4.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mitzel bearers went from 1,891 to 1,830 (-3.2% change). The surname moved up 53 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,483 to #15,430.
FAQ
Mitzel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mitzel?
Name Census estimates that about 2,099 living Americans carry the surname Mitzel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 163,294 residents.
How common is Mitzel?
Mitzel ranks #15,430 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.61 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,830 people with the surname Mitzel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,099), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.61 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.61 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Mitzel.
Has Mitzel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mitzel went from 1,891 recorded bearers to 1,830. That is a decrease of 61 (-3.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #15,483 to #15,430.
What does the Census say about the background of Mitzel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mitzel, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (1.9%). 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 Mitzel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.1% (1,703 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mitzel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.1%), Two or More Races (3.2%), Hispanic (1.9%). 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 Mitzel (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 Mitzel mean?
A German surname derived from the Middle High German word 'mitzel' meaning cut or slit. 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 Mitzel (0.61 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 have the last name Mitzel?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Mitzel on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.