2000
#342
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 81,933
First available Census row
Per 100,000 30.37
Uncommon Last name
Miles
An occupational surname referring to a soldier or one who serves in the military.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 94,689 Americans carry the last name Miles. That puts it at #379 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 27.63 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,620 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Miles 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 Miles with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
95K
1 in 3,620
Census rank
#379
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
27.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
83K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 82,573 bearers of the surname Miles in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 27.63 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 379th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Miles, the largest self-reported group is White at 58.8%. The next largest groups are Black (31.5%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Miles
The surname MILES originated in England and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is an occupational name, derived from the Old English word 'mild' or 'milde', meaning 'gentle' or 'merciful'. This name was likely given to someone with a mild or gentle disposition or personality.
The earliest known record of the surname MILES is found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, which mentions a William Miles. The name also appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1296, where a John Miles is listed.
In the 14th century, the surname MILES can be found in various records, including the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, which mentions a Walter Miles. The name is also recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire from 1332, where a Richard Miles is listed.
One of the earliest known bearers of the surname MILES was Sir Henry Miles, a member of the English Parliament who lived during the 14th century. He was elected as a Member of Parliament for Somerset in 1348.
Another notable figure with the surname MILES was John Miles, a wealthy merchant and shipowner from Bristol, England, who lived in the late 15th century. He was known for his involvement in the English wool trade and for financing voyages of exploration.
In the 16th century, the surname MILES can be found in various historical records, including the Muster Rolls of Middlesex from 1539, which mentions a Thomas Miles. The name is also recorded in the Feet of Fines of Essex from 1558, where a John Miles is listed.
One of the most famous bearers of the surname MILES was Philip Miles, an English soldier and explorer who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He was known for his participation in the English colonization of Virginia and for his exploration of the Chesapeake Bay region.
Another notable figure with the surname MILES was Josiah Miles, a prominent Quaker minister and abolitionist who lived in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He was born in 1772 in Pennsylvania and was active in the anti-slavery movement, advocating for the rights of enslaved people.
In the 19th century, the surname MILES can be found in various historical records, including the Census of England and Wales from 1841, which lists numerous individuals with this surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Miles
Among Census respondents with the surname Miles, the largest self-reported group is White at 58.8%. The next largest groups are Black (31.5%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Miles 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 Miles surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White58.8% · 48,527
- Black or African American31.5% · 25,978
- Two or more races4.8% · 4,002
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 2,835
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 645
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 586
Timeline
Historical Census data for Miles
Miles 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
#368
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 84,942
+3,009 bearers (+3.7%)
Per 100,000 28.80
Rank movement Down 26 places
2020
#379
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 82,573
-2,369 bearers (-2.8%)
Per 100,000 27.63
Rank movement Down 11 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #342 | 81,933 | 30.37 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #368 | 84,942 | 28.80 | +3,009 bearers (+3.7%) | Down 26 places |
| 2020 | #379 | 82,573 | 27.63 | -2,369 bearers (-2.8%) | Down 11 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 Miles 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 | #368 | #379 | -3.0% |
| Count | 84,942 | 82,573 | -2.8% |
| Per 100K | 28.80 | 27.63 | -4.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Miles bearers went from 84,942 to 82,573 (-2.8% change). The surname moved down 11 positions in the national ranking, going from #368 to #379.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Miles
FAQ
Miles surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Miles?
Name Census estimates that about 94,689 living Americans carry the surname Miles. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,620 residents.
How common is Miles?
Miles ranks #379 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 27.63 per 100,000 residents, which is about 28 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 82,573 people with the surname Miles. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (94,689), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 27.63 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 27.63 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 28 of them to have the surname Miles.
Has Miles become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Miles went from 84,942 recorded bearers to 82,573. That is a decrease of 2,369 (-2.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #368 to #379.
What does the Census say about the background of Miles?
Among Census respondents with the surname Miles, the largest self-reported group is White at 58.8%. The next largest groups are Black (31.5%) and Two or More Races (4.8%). 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 Miles in the 2020 Census, accounting for 58.8% (48,527 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Miles appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (58.8%), Black (31.5%), Two or More Races (4.8%). 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 Miles (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 Miles mean?
An occupational surname referring to a soldier or one who serves in the military. 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 Miles (27.63 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 Americans have the surname Miles?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.