2000
#2,633
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,622
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.68
Uncommon Last name
Millard
An English occupational surname for a miller or mill worker, derived from the Middle English "millward" or "milleward."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 13,815 Americans carry the last name Millard. That puts it at #2,916 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 24,810 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Millard 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 Millard with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
14K
1 in 24,810
Census rank
#2,916
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
12K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 12,047 bearers of the surname Millard in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2916th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Millard, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Millard
The surname MILLARD is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval era. It is derived from the Old French word "mouliner," meaning "to mill" or "grind grain." This occupational name was initially given to individuals who operated mills, an essential trade during that time.
MILLARD is believed to have emerged in the counties of Warwickshire and Staffordshire, where many early records of the name can be found. One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname appears in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, which mentions a John le Milnere from Oxfordshire.
During the 13th and 14th centuries, the name was also spelled in various forms, such as Milner, Millner, and Mylner, reflecting the regional dialects and scribal variations of the time. These alternative spellings can be found in historical documents like the Pipe Rolls and the Hearth Tax Returns.
In the Domesday Book, compiled in 1086, there are references to manors and villages with names containing the element "mill," which may have contributed to the formation of the surname MILLARD in those areas.
Notably, the MILLARD surname has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One such figure was Thomas Millard (c. 1572-1633), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of St. Clement's Church in Ipswich.
Another prominent bearer of the name was John Millard (1605-1677), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Maldon during the reign of Charles II.
In the 18th century, Joseph Millard (1736-1784) was a renowned English engraver and cartographer, known for his intricate maps and charts.
Moving into the 19th century, Sir Ralph Millard (1828-1899) was a British businessman and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the city of Bradford, where he founded the Millard Charity.
Lastly, Henry Millard (1893-1979), an American author and journalist, gained recognition for his work on the history of the American West and his novels set in that era.
These examples showcase the diverse backgrounds and achievements of individuals bearing the surname MILLARD, reflecting its enduring presence throughout English and American history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Millard
Among Census respondents with the surname Millard, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Millard 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 Millard surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.6% · 10,553
- Two or more races3.9% · 475
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 449
- Black or African American3.3% · 395
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 104
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 71
Timeline
Historical Census data for Millard
Millard 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
#2,805
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,843
+221 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 4.35
Rank movement Down 172 places
2020
#2,916
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,047
-796 bearers (-6.2%)
Per 100,000 4.03
Rank movement Down 111 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,633 | 12,622 | 4.68 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,805 | 12,843 | 4.35 | +221 bearers (+1.8%) | Down 172 places |
| 2020 | #2,916 | 12,047 | 4.03 | -796 bearers (-6.2%) | Down 111 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 Millard 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 | #2,805 | #2,916 | -4.0% |
| Count | 12,843 | 12,047 | -6.2% |
| Per 100K | 4.35 | 4.03 | -7.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Millard bearers went from 12,843 to 12,047 (-6.2% change). The surname moved down 111 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,805 to #2,916.
FAQ
Millard surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Millard?
Name Census estimates that about 13,815 living Americans carry the surname Millard. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 24,810 residents.
How common is Millard?
Millard ranks #2,916 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 12,047 people with the surname Millard. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (13,815), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Millard.
Has Millard become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Millard went from 12,843 recorded bearers to 12,047. That is a decrease of 796 (-6.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,805 to #2,916.
What does the Census say about the background of Millard?
Among Census respondents with the surname Millard, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (3.7%). 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 Millard in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.6% (10,553 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Millard appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.6%), Two or More Races (3.9%), Hispanic (3.7%). 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 Millard (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 Millard mean?
An English occupational surname for a miller or mill worker, derived from the Middle English "millward" or "milleward." 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 Millard (4.03 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 common is the surname Millard?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans have the surname Millard at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.