Milbrey
A feminine name derived from the Old English words "mylen" and "burga" meaning "mill brook."
Name Census estimates that about 6 living Americans carry the first name Milbrey. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Milbrey today is around 80 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Milbrey births was 1921 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Milbrey. 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
- • The typical person named Milbrey is about 80 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Milbreys were born before 1956.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Milbrey. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
6
~ 1 in 57,125,723 Americans
Peak year
1921
8 babies that year
Average age
80
years old
1953 SSA rank
#6,259
Tracked since 1914
Popularity
Milbrey: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Milbrey from the 1910s through to the 1950s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 20 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Milbrey 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 Milbrey 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 Milbrey
The name Milbrey is a relatively uncommon given name with uncertain origins. One theory suggests that it may have derived from the Old English words "milde" and "burgh," meaning "mild" and "fortress" or "town," respectively. This interpretation could imply that the name originally referred to someone with a gentle disposition residing in a fortified settlement.
Another possibility is that Milbrey originated as a variant spelling of the French name Millbury, itself a combination of the words "mill" and "bury" (meaning "town"). This would place the name's roots in the Old French language, potentially reflecting a connection to a person or place associated with a mill.
Historically, the earliest recorded instances of the name Milbrey appear to be from the 17th century in England. One of the earliest known individuals with this first name was Milbrey Calvert, born in 1635 in Hertfordshire, England. She was a member of the prominent Calvert family, which played a significant role in the colonization of Maryland.
In the 18th century, Milbrey Gunning (1768-1834) was an Irish-born British actress and singer who achieved notable fame during her career on the London stage. Her performances were widely acclaimed, and she was considered a leading theatrical figure of her time.
Moving into the 19th century, Milbrey Green (1815-1895) was an American educator and activist from Massachusetts. She was a pioneering advocate for women's rights and educational reform, establishing several schools and advocating for improved educational opportunities for women.
Another notable figure was Milbrey Washburn (1871-1963), an American psychologist and educator. She was a influential figure in the field of educational psychology and served as the president of the American Psychological Association in 1921.
In the 20th century, Milbrey Lord (1919-2003) was an American author and historian. She wrote extensively on the history of the American West, with her works focused on the experiences of women and Native American communities during the westward expansion.
While the name Milbrey has remained relatively uncommon throughout history, these examples illustrate its use across different periods and contexts, from colonial America to the world of theater, education, psychology, and literature.
People
Milbrey + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Milbrey 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
Milbrey: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Milbrey?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Milbrey 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 1 in 57,125,723 US residents.
Is Milbrey a common name?
We classify Milbrey as "Very Rare". It ranks above 22.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 36 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Milbrey most popular?
The single biggest year for Milbrey was 1921, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Milbrey is about 80 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 Milbrey in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Milbrey a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Milbrey in the SSA data are female. 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 Milbrey still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Milbrey 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 Milbrey 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 Milbrey?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.