2000
#11,518
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,506
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.93
Rare Last name
Millington
A locational surname referring to any of several places in England, likely deriving from Old English elements meaning "mill town."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,090 Americans carry the last name Millington. That puts it at #11,219 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.90 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 110,924 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Millington 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 Millington with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.1K
1 in 110,924
Census rank
#11,219
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,695 bearers of the surname Millington in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.90 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11219th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Millington, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.3%. The next largest groups are Black (19.1%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Millington
The surname Millington is of English origin and dates back to the medieval period. It is a locational name derived from one of the various places named Millington, such as those found in Yorkshire, Cheshire, and Derbyshire. The name is believed to have originated from the Old English words "mylen" meaning "mill" and "tun" meaning "farm" or "enclosure," signifying a settlement or village where a mill was located.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Millington can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Millinctone" and "Millinctun." This suggests that the name was already in use during the 11th century in various parts of England.
In the 13th century, records show a Robert de Millington from Yorkshire, indicating that the name had gained prominence in that region. Similarly, in the 14th century, a John de Millington from Cheshire is mentioned in historical documents.
During the Tudor period, the name Millington appeared in several notable individuals. Sir Thomas Millington (c. 1490-1568) was a prominent lawyer and judge who served as the Chief Justice of the Common Pleas under Queen Mary I. Another noteworthy figure was Richard Millington (c. 1520-1585), an English Catholic priest and martyr who was executed during the Elizabethan period for his religious beliefs.
In the 17th century, the name Millington continued to be found in various parts of England. One notable bearer was Thomas Millington (1628-1704), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Newington Butts in London.
Another significant figure associated with the surname was Sir Thomas Millington (1673-1748), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Nottingham. He was also a prominent lawyer and served as the King's Serjeant.
In the 18th century, the name Millington was carried by John Millington (1701-1784), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Heston in Middlesex. He is known for his work "The Stranger's Guide to the Town and University of Cambridge" published in 1774.
Throughout history, the surname Millington has been associated with various notable individuals from different walks of life, including lawyers, clergy members, politicians, and authors, reflecting the name's long-standing presence and significance in English society.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Millington
Among Census respondents with the surname Millington, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.3%. The next largest groups are Black (19.1%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Millington 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 Millington surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White72.3% · 1,949
- Black or African American19.1% · 515
- Two or more races4.1% · 111
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 90
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 25
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Millington
Millington 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
#11,478
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,741
+235 bearers (+9.4%)
Per 100,000 0.93
Rank movement Up 40 places
2020
#11,219
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,695
-46 bearers (-1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.90
Rank movement Up 259 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,518 | 2,506 | 0.93 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,478 | 2,741 | 0.93 | +235 bearers (+9.4%) | Up 40 places |
| 2020 | #11,219 | 2,695 | 0.90 | -46 bearers (-1.7%) | Up 259 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 Millington 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 | #11,478 | #11,219 | 2.3% |
| Count | 2,741 | 2,695 | -1.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.93 | 0.90 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Millington bearers went from 2,741 to 2,695 (-1.7% change). The surname moved up 259 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,478 to #11,219.
FAQ
Millington surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Millington?
Name Census estimates that about 3,090 living Americans carry the surname Millington. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 110,924 residents.
How common is Millington?
Millington ranks #11,219 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.90 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,695 people with the surname Millington. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,090), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.9 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.90 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Millington.
Has Millington become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Millington went from 2,741 recorded bearers to 2,695. That is a decrease of 46 (-1.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #11,478 to #11,219.
What does the Census say about the background of Millington?
Among Census respondents with the surname Millington, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.3%. The next largest groups are Black (19.1%) and Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Millington in the 2020 Census, accounting for 72.3% (1,949 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Millington appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (72.3%), Black (19.1%), Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Millington (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 Millington mean?
A locational surname referring to any of several places in England, likely deriving from Old English elements meaning "mill town." 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 Millington (0.90 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 Millington?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Millington, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.