English variant of Michael from Hebrew "one who is like God"; NT Revelations 12:7-9.

The modern use as a male and female forename is believed to be by derivation from the surname, itself derived from the medieval male forename. The female use of this name was mainly confined to the US And Scotland. Two correspondents [AM & GB] have identifed examples of its use in Aberdeenshire, Scotland:

Mitchell COWAN was born in Aberdeen 1829 and died at sea in 1877.

Mitchell RENNIE was born in Old Machar, Aberdeen in 1868 and gave her daughter, born 1902, the same forename.

In Scotland as a whole the popularity of the female name increased at the end of the 17th century and the name has been so used in nearly 10,000 example since then.

See also Mitchell (M).