Milnor
A variant of the English surname derived from "mill town".
Name Census estimates that about 0 living Americans carry the first name Milnor. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Milnor today is around 0 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Milnor births was 1919 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Milnor. 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 Milnor. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
0
~ - Americans
Peak year
1919
6 babies that year
Average age
-
1919 SSA rank
#4,029
Tracked since 1919
Popularity
Milnor: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Milnor 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 Milnor during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 6 | 0 | 6 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Milnor
The name Milnor is an English given name that can trace its origins back to the Old English language. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "mylen," which means "mill" or "mill stream." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a mill or a mill stream.
One of the earliest known historical references to the name Milnor can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Milner" and "Milnere," indicating its connection to mills and millers.
Throughout history, the name Milnor has been associated with several notable individuals. One of the earliest recorded examples is John Milnor (c. 1350-1415), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Nottinghamshire during the reign of King Richard II.
Another prominent figure bearing the name Milnor was William Milnor (1783-1868), an American Episcopal bishop and educator. He served as the fifth Episcopal Bishop of Pennsylvania and played a significant role in the establishment of several educational institutions, including the University of Pennsylvania.
In the realm of mathematics, John Willard Milnor (1931-) stands out as a renowned American mathematician. He made significant contributions to various fields, including algebraic topology, differential topology, and dynamical systems. Milnor was awarded the Fields Medal in 1962, which is considered the highest honor in mathematics.
James Milnor (1873-1948), a Scottish-born American industrialist and philanthropist, is also noteworthy. He founded the Milnor Manufacturing Company, which produced laundry equipment, and contributed significantly to the development of the city of Philadelphia through his philanthropic efforts.
Finally, John Milnor (1682-1757), an English clergyman and mathematician, is remembered for his work on the calculation of logarithms and his contributions to the field of navigation. His publications, such as "A Treatise on the Doctrine of Fluxions," were influential in the advancement of mathematical knowledge during the 18th century.
While the name Milnor may not be as common today, its historical significance and connection to mills, millers, and notable individuals from various fields make it a unique and intriguing given name with a rich heritage.
People
Milnor + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Milnor 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
Milnor: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Milnor?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 0 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Milnor 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 Milnor a common name?
We classify Milnor 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, 6 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Milnor most popular?
The single biggest year for Milnor was 1919, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Milnor 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 Milnor in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Milnor a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Milnor 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 Milnor still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Milnor 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 Milnor 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 many people are named Milnor?
Want to know how many people have the name Milnor? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.