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Origins of the Mitchell surname

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What does the name Mitchell mean?

Mitchell is English and Scottish in origin, and has two main points of origin. Most commonly it comes from the Norman name 'Michel/Michael' and is patronymic, referring to those who are the son or descendant of a bearer of that name. Secondly the surname Mitchell can come from the Middle English word for 'big' (michel or mechel), and be a descriptive name that refers to someone large in stature and their descendants.

Alternative variations of the name Mitchell

Mitchell, Michel, Mychell, Michell, Mitchill

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Where do most Mitchells live?

In 1921, most Mitchells lived in Yorkshire.


Census records trace your ancestors through each generation, so you can follow where your relatives lived through each decade.

Interesting facts about Mitchells

How common is your surname?

47th most common surname in the UK

We have 557,000 records for the Mitchell surname. The oldest one dates back to 1300.

Who were Mitchells most likely to marry?

Smiths

&

Williamses

Our Marriage record sets tell us which families married Mitchells.

What are the most common Mitchell first names?

  • John
  • William
  • Mary
  • Elizabeth

Our birth record sets tell us the names of Mitchell family members

Common jobs for Mitchells

Men and women often performed different types of jobs, so these are displayed by gender to maintain their historical accuracy.

Common Female occupations for Mitchells in 1921
Dressmaker

2,654

Domestic Servant

1,648

Laundress

1,382

Housekeeper

1,178

General Servant Domestic

1,065

Common Male occupations for Mitchells in 1921
General Labourer

2,063

Farmer

1,972

Coal Miner

1,907

Agricultural Labourer

1,712

Tailor

1,355

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We found over 1,200,000 family trees with the Mitchell surname

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