Find out how popular the last name Miley is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Miley.

Miley, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Miley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Miley in America

Miley is the 4797th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Miley surname appeared 7,365 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Miley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Miley to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Miley

The surname Miley originates from England and is thought to have derived from the Old English words "mil" meaning "mile" and "leah" meaning "a clearing in a forest or wood". It is believed to have initially referred to someone who lived near a mile marker or a mile from a particular location.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Miley can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which mentions a landowner named Mileleah in Berkshire. The name appeared in various forms, such as Mileley, Milelaie, and Mylaie, in medieval records across different counties in England.

In the 13th century, a notable individual named John Miley was recorded as a landowner in the village of Farnham, Surrey. Another early bearer of the name was William Myley, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1275.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Miley surname was found in various parts of England, particularly in counties like Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Cheshire. One prominent figure from this period was Robert Miley, a wealthy merchant from London who lived between 1580 and 1647.

In the 18th century, the Miley family had a presence in the county of Staffordshire, where a branch of the family owned a significant estate. A notable member of this family was Sir Thomas Miley (1710-1789), a landowner and magistrate who played an active role in local affairs.

Another individual of note was Elizabeth Miley (1766-1854), a renowned author and poet from Yorkshire, whose works were widely acclaimed during her lifetime.

As the Miley family dispersed across different regions of England over the centuries, variations in the spelling of the name emerged, including Myley, Mylie, Mileigh, and Milie. However, the core meaning and origins of the surname remained rooted in its Old English etymology.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Miley

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Miley.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Miley was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Miley has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Miley was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Miley, please contact us.

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