2000
#1,497
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 21,887
First available Census row
Per 100,000 8.11
Uncommon Last name
Milligan
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Maolagáin," meaning "descendant of a disciple of St. John."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 24,710 Americans carry the last name Milligan. That puts it at #1,619 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 7.21 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 13,871 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Milligan 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 Milligan with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
25K
1 in 13,871
Census rank
#1,619
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
7.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
22K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 21,548 bearers of the surname Milligan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 7.21 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1619th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Milligan, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.9%. The next largest groups are Black (11.6%) and Hispanic (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Milligan
The surname Milligan originates from Scotland and is derived from the ancient Gaelic name, MacMillan or MacGilleMhaolain, meaning "son of the tonsured servant" or "son of the bald or tonsured one." This name dates back to the Middle Ages when it was not uncommon for a young boy to have his head shaved as a symbol of his devotion to the church.
The name Milligan is believed to have first appeared in the Scottish Highlands, particularly in the regions of Argyll and the Hebrides. Early recordings of the name can be found in various historical documents, such as the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, where a certain Gyllemihaelmore Macillegan is mentioned in 1292.
One of the earliest known references to the name Milligan can be traced back to the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of instruments recording the submission of Scottish nobles to Edward I of England. In this document, the name appears as "Milelgan."
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Milligan. One of the earliest was Sir James Milligan (1571-1640), a Scottish merchant and politician who served as Lord Provost of Edinburgh from 1621 to 1622.
Another prominent figure was Ralph Milligan (1622-1680), an English Puritan minister and writer who published several religious works during the 17th century.
In the 18th century, John Milligan (1753-1805) was a Scottish surveyor and geographer who is best known for his work in mapping the Scottish Highlands and the Hebrides Islands.
During the 19th century, William Milligan (1821-1892) was a Scottish biblical scholar and professor of divinity at the University of Aberdeen. He made significant contributions to the study of New Testament Greek and was recognized for his expertise in biblical criticism.
More recently, Spike Milligan (1918-2002) was an Irish comedian, writer, poet, and actor, best known for his work with the British comedy group, The Goon Show. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in British comedy and is often credited with paving the way for the Monty Python troupe.
The surname Milligan has also been associated with various place names throughout Scotland, such as Milligan's Knoll, a hill located in the Scottish Borders, and Milligan's Burn, a stream in Ayrshire.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Milligan
Among Census respondents with the surname Milligan, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.9%. The next largest groups are Black (11.6%) and Hispanic (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Milligan 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 Milligan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White77.9% · 16,786
- Black or African American11.6% · 2,497
- Hispanic or Latino4.6% · 984
- Two or more races4.4% · 938
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 197
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 146
Timeline
Historical Census data for Milligan
Milligan 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
#1,597
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 22,416
+529 bearers (+2.4%)
Per 100,000 7.60
Rank movement Down 100 places
2020
#1,619
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 21,548
-868 bearers (-3.9%)
Per 100,000 7.21
Rank movement Down 22 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,497 | 21,887 | 8.11 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,597 | 22,416 | 7.60 | +529 bearers (+2.4%) | Down 100 places |
| 2020 | #1,619 | 21,548 | 7.21 | -868 bearers (-3.9%) | Down 22 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 Milligan 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 | #1,597 | #1,619 | -1.4% |
| Count | 22,416 | 21,548 | -3.9% |
| Per 100K | 7.60 | 7.21 | -5.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Milligan bearers went from 22,416 to 21,548 (-3.9% change). The surname moved down 22 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,597 to #1,619.
FAQ
Milligan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Milligan?
Name Census estimates that about 24,710 living Americans carry the surname Milligan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 13,871 residents.
How common is Milligan?
Milligan ranks #1,619 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 7.21 per 100,000 residents, which is about 7 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 21,548 people with the surname Milligan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (24,710), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 7.21 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 7.21 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 7 of them to have the surname Milligan.
Has Milligan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Milligan went from 22,416 recorded bearers to 21,548. That is a decrease of 868 (-3.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,597 to #1,619.
What does the Census say about the background of Milligan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Milligan, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.9%. The next largest groups are Black (11.6%) and Hispanic (4.6%). 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 Milligan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 77.9% (16,786 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Milligan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (77.9%), Black (11.6%), Hispanic (4.6%). 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 Milligan (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 Milligan mean?
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Maolagáin," meaning "descendant of a disciple of St. John." 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 Milligan (7.21 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 people have the last name Milligan?
Find out how many people have the last name Milligan on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.