Milard
A combination of the names Miller and Leonard.
Name Census estimates that about 0 living Americans carry the first name Milard. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Milard today is around 0 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Milard births was 1922 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Milard. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Milard. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
0
~ - Americans
Peak year
1922
6 babies that year
Average age
-
1922 SSA rank
#4,154
Tracked since 1918
Popularity
Milard: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Milard from the 1910s through to the 1920s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 6 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Milard by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Milard during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Milard
The given name Milard is a unique and relatively rare name with roots that can be traced back to the medieval era. It is believed to have originated from the Germanic languages, specifically from the Old English or Old Norse words "mil" meaning "mild" and "ard" meaning "hardy" or "brave".
In its earliest forms, the name was likely spelled as "Milhard" or "Milheard", and it was commonly used in various regions of present-day England, Germany, and Scandinavia during the 9th to 11th centuries. The name's meaning, "mild and brave", was likely intended to represent the desired qualities of strength and gentleness in a person.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Milard can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of lands and properties in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears as "Milhard" in several entries, suggesting that it was in use among the Anglo-Saxon population of the time.
Throughout history, there have been a few notable individuals who carried the name Milard. One of the earliest known figures was Milard of Ghent (c. 1180 - c. 1240), a Flemish philosopher and theologian who taught at the University of Paris and wrote extensively on logic and metaphysics.
Another significant figure was Milard van Westerveld (1362 - 1428), a Dutch nobleman and military commander who fought in the Hundred Years' War and played a crucial role in the defense of Holland against the English forces.
In the 16th century, Milard Pijl (1512 - 1578) was a prominent Dutch cartographer and engraver who produced highly detailed maps of the Low Countries and contributed significantly to the advancement of cartography during the Renaissance period.
Moving forward in time, Milard Fillmore (1800 - 1874) was the 13th President of the United States, serving from 1850 to 1853. Although his first name was actually Millard, with an extra "l", the similarity in spelling and pronunciation is worth noting.
Finally, Milard Wilkins (1901 - 1968) was a British physicist and Nobel Laureate who made significant contributions to the study of molecular structure and x-ray diffraction techniques, helping to advance our understanding of the nature of matter.
While the name Milard may not be as common today as it once was, its rich history and unique meaning make it a fascinating example of how names can reflect the cultural and linguistic traditions of different eras and regions.
People
Milard + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Milard as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with M
Other first names starting with M with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Milard: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Milard?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 0 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Milard going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about - US residents.
Is Milard a common name?
We classify Milard as "Very Rare". It ranks above 2.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 11 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Milard most popular?
The single biggest year for Milard was 1922, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Milard is about 0 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Milard in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Milard a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Milard in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Milard still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Milard in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Milard can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How common is the name Milard?
See how many people share the name Milard on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.