2000
#8,237
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,702
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.37
Rare Last name
Mickle
A surname derived from a Middle English word meaning "great" or "large," likely referring to a person's size or power.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,169 Americans carry the last name Mickle. That puts it at #8,657 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.22 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 82,215 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mickle surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Mickle with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.2K
1 in 82,215
Census rank
#8,657
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,636 bearers of the surname Mickle in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.22 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8657th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mickle, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.8%. The next largest groups are Black (25.9%) and Hispanic (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mickle
The surname Mickle is believed to have originated in Scotland. It is derived from the Old English word "micel," which means "great" or "large." This suggests that the name may have originally been a nickname referring to someone's physical stature or perhaps their importance or standing in the community.
The earliest known record of the name Mickle dates back to the 13th century, where it appears in the Ragman Rolls of 1296. These rolls were a collection of homage pledges made to King Edward I of England by Scottish nobles and landowners following his invasion of Scotland.
In the 14th century, the name Mickle was also found in various charters and land records in the Scottish Borders region. These records often referred to places like Mickle Rig, Mickle Blackburn, and Mickle Cavers, which are believed to have been named after individuals or families bearing the Mickle surname.
One notable historical figure with the surname Mickle was William Mickle, a Scottish poet and translator who lived from 1734 to 1788. He is best known for his translation of the Portuguese epic poem "Os Lusíadas" by Luís de Camões.
Another prominent individual was Thomas Mickle, a Scottish engraver and illustrator who lived from 1765 to 1850. He was renowned for his engravings of portraits and landscapes, and his work can be found in various collections across the United Kingdom.
In the 16th century, the name Mickle appears in the records of the Scottish Reformation, with a John Mickle mentioned as a supporter of the Protestant cause. He was likely involved in the religious upheaval that swept through Scotland during that turbulent period.
The surname Mickle has also been found in various spellings throughout history, such as Mickell, Mickill, and Meikle. These variations were common in the past due to inconsistencies in spelling and pronunciation.
Finally, it is worth noting that the surname Mickle has been associated with several places in Scotland, including Mickle Fell in Dumfries and Galloway, and Mickle Dales in the Scottish Borders. These place names further reinforce the historical presence and significance of the Mickle surname in Scotland.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mickle
Among Census respondents with the surname Mickle, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.8%. The next largest groups are Black (25.9%) and Hispanic (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Mickle bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Mickle surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White64.8% · 2,355
- Black or African American25.9% · 940
- Hispanic or Latino4.3% · 157
- Two or more races3.9% · 142
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 26
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 16
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mickle
Mickle appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#7,983
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,141
+439 bearers (+11.9%)
Per 100,000 1.40
Rank movement Up 254 places
2020
#8,657
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,636
-505 bearers (-12.2%)
Per 100,000 1.22
Rank movement Down 674 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,237 | 3,702 | 1.37 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,983 | 4,141 | 1.40 | +439 bearers (+11.9%) | Up 254 places |
| 2020 | #8,657 | 3,636 | 1.22 | -505 bearers (-12.2%) | Down 674 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Mickle surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #7,983 | #8,657 | -8.4% |
| Count | 4,141 | 3,636 | -12.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.40 | 1.22 | -13.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mickle bearers went from 4,141 to 3,636 (-12.2% change). The surname moved down 674 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,983 to #8,657.
FAQ
Mickle surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mickle?
Name Census estimates that about 4,169 living Americans carry the surname Mickle. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 82,215 residents.
How common is Mickle?
Mickle ranks #8,657 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.22 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,636 people with the surname Mickle. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,169), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.22 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.22 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Mickle.
Has Mickle become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mickle went from 4,141 recorded bearers to 3,636. That is a decrease of 505 (-12.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,983 to #8,657.
What does the Census say about the background of Mickle?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mickle, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.8%. The next largest groups are Black (25.9%) and Hispanic (4.3%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Mickle in the 2020 Census, accounting for 64.8% (2,355 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mickle appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (64.8%), Black (25.9%), Hispanic (4.3%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Mickle (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Mickle mean?
A surname derived from a Middle English word meaning "great" or "large," likely referring to a person's size or power. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Mickle (1.22 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Mickle?
You can see how many people have the surname Mickle on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.