Mitchel
A variant spelling of Mitchell, ultimately from the personal name Michael, meaning “Who is like God?”
The #6,151 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 55,430 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Mitchel is usually a shortened or simplified spelling of Mitchell, a surname that developed from the medieval personal name Michael. Michael comes from the Hebrew question-name Mikha'el, traditionally understood as “Who is like God?” Through Norman French and Middle English usage, it produced many surname forms, including Mitchell and Mitchel. The spelling without the final doubled consonant is a variant, not a separate origin.
History
The form Mitchel appears in historical records alongside Mitchell and other spelling variants, reflecting the loose surname spelling of earlier centuries. In English-speaking countries it has generally been treated as an alternate form of Mitchell rather than a distinct family name. The spelling is relatively uncommon today, but it survives in civil records and family lines where the shorter form was fixed.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The underlying biblical name Michael has been one of the most durable sources of surnames across Europe, generating dozens of spellings in English alone.
From the historical record
“St Jas. Clerkenwell, i. a. 1754. ^Ai^cd — William Mitchel and Bliz. Herring : St Geo. Han. Sq. L ^ London, 168, 4 ; New York, 258, o ; Philadelphia, 450, a”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames (alternate scan)