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

Millikan, 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 Millikan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Millikan in America

Millikan is the 16802nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Millikan surname appeared 1,699 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Millikan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Millikan 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 Millikan

The surname Millikan originates from England and dates back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English words "myllen" meaning mill and "hican" meaning someone who lived near or worked at a mill. The name was initially found in areas with a high concentration of mills, such as Lancashire and Yorkshire.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1275, where it is spelled "Mullenehiken." This spelling variation highlights the evolution of the name over time. Similar spellings like "Milnecan" and "Millikan" can be found in various medieval records across different regions of England.

The Millikan name is also mentioned in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of land ownership in England compiled in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror. This suggests that individuals with this surname had established themselves in various parts of the country by the late 11th century.

Notable individuals with the surname Millikan include Robert Andrews Millikan (1868-1953), an American experimental physicist who received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1923 for his work on the elementary charge of electricity and the photoelectric effect. Another prominent figure is Clark Millikan (1888-1975), an American artist and illustrator known for his landscape paintings and illustrations in books and magazines.

John Millikan (1565-1644) was an English clergyman and one of the earliest known bearers of the name. He served as the Vicar of Leighton Buzzard in Bedfordshire during the early 17th century. In the literary realm, Ralph Millikan (1909-1992) was an American author and journalist who wrote several novels and non-fiction works, including "The Master Mariner" and "The Grand Surprise."

Another notable figure is William Millikan (1821-1913), a Scottish-American industrialist and inventor. He is credited with developing the first practical process for manufacturing steel, known as the Bessemer process, which revolutionized the steel industry in the late 19th century.

These examples showcase the rich history and diversity of individuals who have carried the Millikan surname throughout the centuries, from scientists and artists to clergy and industrialists, contributing to various fields and leaving their mark on society.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Millikan

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

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 Millikan 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 Millikan 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 Millikan was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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