This surname is derived from the name of an ancestor. 'the son of Michael,' popularly Mitchell; compare dike and ditch, kirk and church, Sec.

Hugh fil. Micahel, Lincolnshire, 1273. Hundred Rolls.

Roger Michel, Norfolk, ibid.

Mikael de Brackele, London, ibid.

Johannes Michelson, 1379: Poll Tax of Yorkshire.

Thomas Michilson, 1379: ibid.

Adam Michelson, 1379: ibid.

1363. Bant.—John, s. Thomas Michell: St. James, Clerkenwell.

1754. Married — William Mitchel and Elizabeth Herring: St. George, Hanover Square.

From the Hebrew name Michael through the softened French form Michel. Michael was a very common baptismal name in many countries, and its introduction into Scotland was probably due to French influence. Robert Michael de Hyrmanston was a charter witness in 1438 (RD., p. 288), John Michell had a remission granted him in 1489 for his part in holding Dumbarton Castle against the king (APS., XII, p. 34), and John Mitsell held a land in Glasgow in 1496 (REG., p. 493). Andro Mitschell, cagger in Camwath, Lanarkshire, 1524 (CBBC., p. 19). John Mytschell was a resident in Langside in 1555 (Protocols, I), and Thomas Michell had a charter of eight parts of the lands of Muirtoune in 1611 (RD., p. 504). Brodie (Diary, p. 294) refers to David Mitchell, bishop of Aberdeen, as "the Bishop, Michel of Aberdeen," and early instances of Mitchell for Michael as forename are Mitchell M'Brair in Galloway, 1490, and Mitchell Marjoriebankis in 1572 (Diur. Occ., p. 295). Michell is the regular spelling of the name in the Compt Rook of David Wedderburne of Dundee. In Orkney Michael as a forename is pronounced Mitchell, and S. Michael's Church in Harray is locally "St. Mitchell's Church." Among descendants of Scots emigrants in Norway the name appears as Mitzel, and Andrew Mitchell, a Scot, introduced the steam-engine into Denmark, 1790. Mechell 1597, Meitchel 1661 Michell 1643, Michill 1567. Mitchol 1552, Mitschaell 1645, Mitschal 1521, Mittchell 1688, Mychell 1556, Mytchell 1602.

MITCHELSON, Mitchellson: This surname, meaning "son of Michael," was common in Newburgh in Fife in the middle of the sixteenth century as Michelson (Laing, Newburgh, p. 524). In Latin documents it usually appears in the Latin genitive form, e.g. in 1395 William Michaelis is mentioned as owner of a tenement in Innerkethyn (RAA., II, 44), Johne Michelsone had a safe conduct in England, 1398, Donald Michaelis was vicar of Lethnot in 1435 (REBR., II, 48), and in 1439 we have mention of Robert Mechelson whose name is Latinized in the same document as Robertus Michaelis (CDE., 26). Henry Michaelis was a notary in Glasgow in 1454 (LCD., p. 176), in the following year John Michaelis appears as vicar of Kilbride (ibid., p. 253), and (another) John Michaelis was chaplain in Brechin in 1464 (RER., II, 103). John Michelson was servitor of the earl of Douglas in 1408 (Bain, IV, 765), another John Michelson was granted a letter of safe conduct to travel in England in 1433 (ibid., IV, 1061), John Mychelson, a native of Aberdeen, obtained letters of denization in England in 1463 (ibid., IV, 1336), and Sir John Michelsone, a Pope's knight, was parson of Nether Ewes in 1474 (Liddesdale, p. 104). Master John Mychtyson (compare Michieson), notary public, witnessed a bond of manrent in 1475 (Oliphants, p. 20), Andrew Michelson was admitted burgess of Aberdeen in 1484 (NSCM., I, p. 31), John Michelsoun was burgess of Inverness in 1499 (Cawdor, p. 102), Andrew Michelson contributed towards buying lead for S. Nicholas Church, Aberdeen, in 1500 (CRA., p. 69), John Mitchelson was minister of Burntisland in 1617 (Dysart, p. 45), and Magnus Mitchaelson resided in Northmaven in 1633 (Shetland). Mechealsoun 1575, Mechelsonn 1541, Micchelson 1539, Mitchelsone 1683, Michaelsone 1640. Mitchellsoune 1654.

Mitchell’s Son: v. Mitchell.

The Anglo-Saxon mycel, great, or mickle, would be a tolerably satisfactory etymon, and this may in some instances be the origin of the surname; but I think in most cases it is derived from Michael, a very popular baptismal name in many countries, through its French form, Michel. This view is confirmed by the existence of the surname Mitchelson.

Great.

A corruption of Michael, or from the Saxon Muchel, big.

Mitchell. —Distributed over England, but far more frequent in the south. Its home, par excellence, is in the county of Cornwall, where in nearly half the instances it is written Michell, though the pronunciation is the same. Its other homes are in Sussex, Wilts, and in the West Riding. Its prevalence in Cornwall is due to the fact that several parishes and places in the county bear the name of St. Michael in one form or another. Mitchell is also a name numerous in most parts of Scotland, but is rare north of Aberdeenshire.

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.