Mitchem
A likely English surname from Mitcham in Surrey, with the spelling later reshaped into Mitchem.
The #6,793 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 62,184 Americans shares it.
Etymology
This surname is most likely a variant of Mitcham, the place-name of Mitcham in Surrey. The old place-name was explained as coming from Old English elements meaning roughly "big enclosure" or "large homestead/settlement," from micel "big" plus ham/hamm. Over time, the spelling could shift in records to forms like Mitchem, which reflects pronunciation more than etymology.
History
The historical entry links Mitchem directly with Mitcham, suggesting it arose as a locational surname for someone who came from that Surrey place. Such surnames were often fixed in the medieval and post-medieval periods as people moved away from their home village. The modern Mitchem spelling is less common than Mitcham but fits the same surname family.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Mitcham is also the name of a historic London area, so the surname can point back to a place-name with a long local history.
From the historical record
“MITCHAM \ (Eng.) Bel. to Mitcham (Surrey), MITCHEM J anc. Michelhani = the Big En- closure or Piece of Land [O.E. mic-el, big + ham(m] MITCHELL ( A.-Heb. ) a palatal form of Michael, q.v. (Eng.) a palatal form of Mickie, q.v. Roger Michel— Hund. Rolls. MITCHELSON, MITCHELL'S Son : v. Mitchell. MITGHENER 1 for…”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)