This surname is derived from the name of an ancestor. 'the son of John,' a Welsh surname. John was never an English surname. Johnson monopolized the honours.

Edward ap-John, archdeacon, County of Caermarthen, 1509: History and Ant. St. David's.

Robert ap-Edward John, of Bangor, 1599: Wills at Chester.

William ap-Thomas John, of Pulford, 1606: ibid.

Edward ap-John, of Hanmer, laborer, 1584: ibid.

1666. Married — Robert Rait and Charity John: St. James, Clerkenwell.

1751. — Thomas John and Joanna Russell: St. George's Chapel, Mayfair.

This surname is derived from a nickname. 'big John,— one of the Scottish Border names. Middle English mikel. compare Littlejohn.

'To Mickle Willie', April 33, 1671: Nicolson and Burn, History Westm. and Cumb.

'Mekill Henry Nikson,' 1516: The History of Liddesdale and the Debatable Land.

Miekle Johne Burne, 1405: ibid.

From Heb. Jehohhan through Greek Ioannes, Latin Ioannes, is in Gaelic lain.

A name descriptive of personal appearance of original bearer. compare Mekle Johne Bume in Branxhelm, 1495 (Liddesdale, p. 188). William Meiklejohne appears in the muster roll of the laird of Glenurquhay in 1638 (BBT., p. 398), and Thomas Meiklejohn was a baxter in Dysart in 1678 (Dysart, p. 53). Meakiljohne 1662, Meaklejohne 1646, Meaklejohnne 1626, Mecklijohn 1696, Meikiljohn 1663, Meikiljone 1637, Mickiljohne 1575, Meklejohne 1647, Meicklejohne 1647, Mikiljone 1563, Mikiljon 1565, Mikiljhone 1585. The name is fairly numerous on the northern side of Firth of Forth from Stirling to Dunfermline.

(Teutonic-Hebrew) Big John [Old English micel = Old Norse mikill, big + John, q.v.]

This baptismal name, which is of Norman introduction, has rarely passed into a surname. The Lond. Direct, for 1852 affords but one instance. It has been, however, the source, in various modified forms, of a considerable number of names, some of which are amongst the most common in the whole circle of our nomenclature. Its immediate derivative, Johnson, and its Welsh genitive form, Jones, substantiate this assertion; but we have besides Johns, Johnes, Joanes, Johncock, Janson, Jannings, Jennings, Jenks, Jenkyn, Jenkins, and Jinkins, Jenkinson, and perhaps Janes and Jenson. The Flemish nickname Hans from Johannes, seems to be the root of Hanson, Hancock, &c. Jack and Jackson might seem to claim the same parentage, but I think there is more reason for affiliating them upon James (See Jack).

As Micklejohn.

(Hebrew.) Gracious; God's grace.

MEICKLEJOHN: (Scottish.) Large John, to distinguish him from wee John, or little John.

The surname Mitchell has two separate derivations. In the first it comes from the first name Michel, the Norman form of Michael. Michael is a name of great antiquity and comes from the Hebrew, where it means ‘Who is God?’. The Archangel Michael appears in the Book of Revelations, where he overcomes Satan and the powers of evil. This role has made him the patron saint of soldiers. The first name Michael started to become popular in Europe around the twelfth century, probably as a result of its ‘rediscovery’ during the Crusades to the Holy Land. It has always been particularly popular in Ireland, to such an extent that it is now often used in the form of Mick, as a (fairly derogatory) nickname for an Irishman. Michael is presently one of the most popular first names in the United States.

The second derivation of Mitchell is as a nickname from the Middle English word ‘muchel’, (in the North, ‘mickle’) which means ‘big’, hence Micklejohn, ‘big John’. The word survives today as ‘much’ in such place names as Much Haddington.

The original name Mitchell has many variations. Mitchel and Mitchelson are the most frequent, and Mitchenson and Mitchinson are both versions of Mitchelson. Other surnames from the same source are Michael and Michaels.

References to the name Michel began to appear in the records of the early thirteenth century. The earliest reference to it as a surname is in the Curia Regis Rolls for Northumberland. Here in 1205 the name Gilbert Michel is mentioned.

That example almost certainly comes from the first-name derivation.

One of the greatest best-sellers of all times, Gone With The Wind, was written by Margaret Mitchell (1900—49). This romantic chronicle of the American Civil War sold over one million copies within six months of publication. The film version, starring Vivien Leigh as Scarlett O’Hara and Clark Cable as Rhett Butler, was for many years the longest movie ever released and has been seen by more people than any other film made.

The Scottish-born explorer Sir Thomas Livingstone Mitchell (1792—1855) began his adventurous career as an aide-de- camp to the Duke of Wellington in Spain. Later he explored uncharted regions of New South Wales in Australia, eventually laying out over 200 new towns and villages.

The many retail cooperatives throughout Britain and the US owe their existence to Lancashire-born John Thomas Whitehead Mitchell. He was the key figure in shaping the policies of the 1863 Cooperative Wholesale Society, basing the return of members’ dividends on their total purchases. Radical Socialist Beatrice Webb later successfully championed his ideas.

Mitcheldean, Mitchell and Mitchel Troy are name-related towns in the United Kingdom. Canada and Australia each have one Mitchell while the United States has 4 such towns and Ireland has a Mitchelstown. There are 2 Mitchell rivers in Australia, one in Canada and 2 Mitchell lakes in the United States. Australia has a Mitchell Point.

With about 22,000 namesakes Mitchell is Scotland’s 16th most popular surname. Thus about one out of every 230 Scots is named Mitchell. (The name is not common enough throughout England and Wales to be counted separately.) Mitchell is notably popular in and around Edinburgh where an estimated one in about 220 families bears the name, and in Glasgow where the figure is about one in 275. Around the world Mitchells are most common in Canberra (one in 500 families), Wellington (one in 542), Sydney (one in 631) and Melbourne (one in 639). The United States has more Mitchells than the entire population of Coventry-an estimated total of just over 390,000 makes this their 39th most popular surname.