Explore the Family Name Mitchell
The meaning of Mitchell
1. English and Scottish: from the vernacular pronunciation in Middle English and Older Scots of the personal name Michael. See Michelson. 2. English and Scottish: nickname for a big man, from Middle English michel, mechel, muchel ‘big’. 3. Irish (County Connacht): surname adopted as equivalent of Mulvihill.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Mitchell in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Mitchell has slightly decreased in ranking from 44 in 2000 to 48 in 2010, representing a -9.09% change. However, the actual count of individuals with the Mitchell surname increased by 4.64%, going from 367,433 in 2000 to 384,486 in 2010. The proportion per 100k also showed a slight decrease of -4.31%, dropping from 136.21 in 2000 to 130.34 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #44 | #48 | -9.09% |
| Count | 367,433 | 384,486 | 4.64% |
| Proportion per 100k | 136.21 | 130.34 | -4.31% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Mitchell
Regarding the ethnic identity associated with the surname Mitchell as per the Decennial U.S. Census data, there have been some shifts between 2000 and 2010. While the largest proportion of Mitchells identified as White (61.02% in 2010, down from 63.55% in 2000), there was an increase in the percentage identifying as Black (from 31.52% to 32.50%). The percentage of Mitchells identifying as Hispanic also saw a significant increase of 51.53%. Smaller increases were noted for those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander (from 0.39% to 0.48%) and American Indian and Alaskan Native (from 0.98% to 1.04%). Notably, those identifying as two or more races also increased, from 1.93% in 2000 to 2.50% in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 63.55% | 61.02% | -3.98% |
| Black | 31.52% | 32.5% | 3.11% |
| Two or More Races | 1.93% | 2.5% | 29.53% |
| Hispanic | 1.63% | 2.47% | 51.53% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.98% | 1.04% | 6.12% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.39% | 0.48% | 23.08% |
Mitchell ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Mitchell is British & Irish, which comprises 51.7% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (20.0%) and Nigerian (4.5%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Scandinavian, Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean, Italian, and Spanish & Portuguese.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 51.7% |
| French & German | 20.0% |
| Nigerian | 4.5% |
| Other | 23.7% |
Possible origins of the surname Mitchell
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Mitchell have recent ancestry locations in United Kingdom and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 79.40% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 79.40% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 78.90% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 78.90% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 78.80% |
What Mitchell haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Mitchell is R-CTS241, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS241 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-L21 and R-Z19, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Brown, Smith, Taylor, Thompson, Young, Clark, Green, Johnson, White, Wilson.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Mitchell surname are: T2b, H1, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Mitchell have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Mitchell" Surname 42.3%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Mitchell" Surname 28.6%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Mitchell" Surname 23.1%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Mitchell" Surname 18.0%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Mitchell?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Mitchell are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition