Mitchell is a masculine given name of English origin. It is derived from the Old English word "micel" which means "great," and the term "-th" that signifies "strength." Therefore, Mitchell can be interpreted as meaning "great strength."
The name Mitchell has a long history dating back to medieval England. It was originally used as a surname before evolving into a given name. In the Middle Ages, Mitchell was often given to families who lived near a large or prominent physical feature such as a hill or a stone. This is reflected in some of its variant spellings like Micklethwait and Mickelwright.
Mitchell gained popularity as a given name during the Victorian era when there was a revival of interest in medieval names. Today, Mitchell is still widely used, particularly in English-speaking countries like the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. It has consistently ranked among the top 1000 most popular boys' names in the U.S. since the mid-20th century.
Some notable individuals named Mitchell include American actor and filmmaker Michael Mitchell (1908-1995), Canadian singer-songwriter Mitchell Dorge (born 1976), and Australian rules footballer Mitchell Houston (born 1984). However, it is important to note that these individuals should not be considered representative of all people named Mitchell.
The name Mitchell experienced significant fluctuations in popularity over time. From 1880 to around 1946, the number of births named Mitchell ranged from a low of 20 to a high of 664. However, starting from 1947, there was a marked increase in popularity, with over 800 births each year until peaking at 3323 in 1988. The name maintained relatively high popularity throughout the 1980s and 1990s, but has since declined, with fewer than 400 births per year since 2015.