2000
#118,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 135
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Mykel
An anglicized variant of the Greek surname Michail, meaning "who is like God?".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Mykel. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mykel 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Mykel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mykel, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (2.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mykel
The surname Mykel originated in England during the medieval period, derived from the Old English words "mycel" and "micel," meaning "great" or "large." It is believed to have been initially used as a descriptive nickname for someone of considerable stature or imposing presence.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Mykel can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, an invaluable record of landowners and tenants in England following the Norman Conquest. The name appears in various spellings, such as Michell, Mikell, and Mykell, reflecting the linguistic variations of the time.
One notable historical figure bearing the surname Mykel was Sir John Mykel, a prominent soldier and landowner who lived in the 14th century. He served under King Edward III during the Hundred Years' War and was knighted for his bravery on the battlefield.
In the 15th century, a branch of the Mykel family settled in the village of Mickleover, Derbyshire, which is believed to have derived its name from the Old English "mycel-ofer," meaning "great ridge." This connection suggests that the Mykel surname may have originated in or around this area.
Another notable individual with the surname Mykel was William Mykel, a renowned scholar and clergyman who lived in the 16th century. He was the Archdeacon of Surrey and was known for his extensive library and contributions to the study of theology.
During the 17th century, the Mykel surname spread across various parts of England, with families settling in counties such as Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Oxfordshire. One prominent figure from this era was Sir Robert Mykel, a wealthy merchant and philanthropist who established several charitable foundations in London.
As the centuries passed, the Mykel surname continued to evolve, with variations such as Mickle, Mykle, and Mykell emerging. Despite these spelling differences, the name's origins and meaning remained firmly rooted in the Old English concept of "greatness" or "largeness."
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mykel
Among Census respondents with the surname Mykel, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (2.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Mykel 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 Mykel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.2% · 109
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.6% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mykel
Mykel 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
#122,314
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 141
+6 bearers (+4.4%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 3,360 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
-24 bearers (-17.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 21,956 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #118,954 | 135 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #122,314 | 141 | 0.05 | +6 bearers (+4.4%) | Down 3,360 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | -24 bearers (-17.0%) | Down 21,956 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 Mykel 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 | #122,314 | #144,270 | -18.0% |
| Count | 141 | 117 | -17.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -21.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mykel bearers went from 141 to 117 (-17.0% change). The surname moved down 21,956 positions in the national ranking, going from #122,314 to #144,270.
FAQ
Mykel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mykel?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Mykel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Mykel?
Mykel ranks #144,270 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 117 people with the surname Mykel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), 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 Mykel.
Has Mykel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mykel went from 141 recorded bearers to 117. That is a decrease of 24 (-17.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #122,314 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Mykel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mykel, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (2.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). 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 Mykel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.2% (109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mykel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.2%), American Indian/Alaska Native (2.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). 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 Mykel (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 Mykel mean?
An anglicized variant of the Greek surname Michail, meaning "who is like God?". 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 Mykel (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 share the surname Mykel?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.