Mitchell Surname Meaning and Family History

The Mitchell surname is a common form or corruption of the given name Michael, meaning "big" or "one who is like God."

Mitchell is the 44th most popular surname in the United States and the 15th most common surname in Scotland. Mitchell is also popular in England, coming in as the 51st most common surname.

Surname Origin: Scottish, English, Irish

Alternate Surname Spellings: MICHELL, MICHILL, MACMICHAEL, MACMICHELL, MECHEL, MEITCHEL, MICHISON, MICHIE, MITCHAL, MITCHEL, MICHELSON, MITCHELLSON, MITCHISON, MITCHOL, MITSCHAEL, MITSSCHAL, MITTCHEL, MYCHELL, MYTCHELL, MCMICHAEL, MICHEL

Famous People with the MITCHELL Surname

• Margaret Mitchell - American author, best known for her novel Gone With the Wind
• Arthur Mitchell - first African American Democrat elected to Congress 
• Maria Mitchell - first professional female astronomer in the United States; the comet she discovered in 1847 became known as "Miss Mitchell's Comet"
• William "Billy" Mitchell - American military aviation pioneer

Where Is the MITCHELL Surname Most Common?

Mitchell is the 808th most common surname in the world, according to surname distribution data from Forebears. It is most prevalent in the United States, where it ranks as the 46th most common last name, and is also common in countries such as England (51st), Australia (37th), Canada (49th), Scotland (23rd) and New Zealand (27th).

WorldNames PublicProfiler indicates the Mitchell surname is especially common in Scotland, as well as Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and the United States. Within Scotland, Mitchell is found in the greatest numbers in northern Scotland, including Moray, Aberdeenshire, Angus, Perth and Kinross, and Fife. There is also a greater percentage of Mitchells in East Ayrshire. 

Genealogy Resources for the Surname MITCHELL

Mitchell Family Crest - It's Not What You Think
Contrary to what you may hear, there is no such thing as a Mitchell family crest or coat of arms for the Mitchell surname. Coats of arms are granted to individuals, not families, and may rightfully be used only by the uninterrupted male line descendants of the person to whom the coat of arms was originally granted.
100 Most Common U.S. Surnames & Their Meanings
Smith, Johnson, Williams, Jones, Brown... Are you one of the millions of Americans sporting one of these top 100 common last names from the 2000 census?

MITCHELL DNA Project
More than 250 members with Mitchell roots in Great Britain, Ireland, South Africa, Australia, France, Germany, Poland, Canada, and the United States, have joined this project for the Mitchell surname to work together to find their common heritage through DNA testing and sharing of information.

MITCHELL Family Genealogy Forum
This free message board is focused on descendants of Mitchell ancestors around the world. Search the forum for posts about your Mitchell ancestors, or join the forum and post your own queries. 

FamilySearch - MITCHELL Genealogy
Explore over 7.2 million results from digitized historical records and lineage-linked family trees related to the Mitchell surname on this free website hosted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

MITCHELL Surname Mailing List
Free mailing list for researchers of the Mitchell surname and its variations includes subscription details and a searchable archives of past messages.

GeneaNet - Mitchell Records
GeneaNet includes archival records, family trees, and other resources for individuals with the Mitchell surname, with a concentration on records and families from France and other European countries.

The Mitchell Genealogy and Family Tree Page
Browse genealogy records and links to genealogical and historical records for individuals with the Mitchell surname from the website of Genealogy Today.

Ancestry.com: Mitchell Surname
Explore over 15 million digitized records and database entries, including census records, passenger lists, military records, land deeds, probates, wills and other records for the Mitchell surname on the subscription-based website, Ancestry.com.

Source

Cottle, Basil. Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967.

Dorward, David. Scottish Surnames. Collins Celtic (Pocket edition), 1998.

Fucilla, Joseph. Our Italian Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 2003.

Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges. A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989.

Hanks, Patrick. Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003.

Reaney, P.H. A Dictionary of English Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1997.

Smith, Elsdon C. American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997.