2000
#9,967
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,987
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.11
Rare Last name
Million
A surname referring to a person considered to be wealthy or someone who collected taxes or tolls.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,414 Americans carry the last name Million. That puts it at #10,292 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.00 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 100,397 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Million 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 Million with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.4K
1 in 100,397
Census rank
#10,292
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,977 bearers of the surname Million in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.00 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10292nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Million, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.1%. The next largest groups are Black (11.2%) and Two or More Races (5.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Million
The surname Million originated in England during the late medieval period, likely derived from an Old English or Anglo-Norman word referring to a person's occupation or status. Some linguists trace its roots to the Old French word "milion," which meant a wealthy or prominent individual. Others suggest it may have evolved from the Old English term "milun," meaning a freeman or privileged person.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1195, which mentions a John Million as a landowner. The name also appears in the Curia Regis Rolls of 1201, which lists a William Million as a defendant in a legal case.
During the 13th century, the name Million began to spread across various regions of England, with references appearing in historical records from counties such as Yorkshire, Gloucestershire, and Oxfordshire. Notable examples include John Million, a merchant from Bristol who was granted a royal charter in 1285, and Robert Million, a cleric from Oxford who is mentioned in university records from 1298.
The Hundred Rolls of 1273, a survey of landholdings across England, includes several entries for individuals with the surname Million, indicating their presence in various parts of the country. One such entry records a Thomas Million as holding lands in the village of Stoke in Gloucestershire.
In the 14th century, the name Million continued to gain prominence, with several notable individuals bearing the surname. One of the most significant figures was Sir John Million, a knight from Lincolnshire who served in the retinue of King Edward III during the Hundred Years' War. He participated in the Battle of Crécy in 1346 and was later granted lands in Northamptonshire for his loyal service.
Another notable figure from this period was William Million, a wool merchant from London who rose to become a prominent member of the city's guilds and served as an alderman in the 1360s. His success in trade and civic affairs helped further establish the Million name among the merchant class of medieval England.
As the surname spread across England, it also underwent various spelling variations, including Milion, Millyon, and Millioun, reflecting the fluid nature of surname spellings in earlier centuries. Some of these variations can be found in historical records, such as the court rolls of Essex from the 15th century, which mention a John Millioun as a landowner.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Million
Among Census respondents with the surname Million, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.1%. The next largest groups are Black (11.2%) and Two or More Races (5.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Million 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 Million surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White78.1% · 2,326
- Black or African American11.2% · 334
- Two or more races5.4% · 160
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 87
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.4% · 43
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 27
Timeline
Historical Census data for Million
Million 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
#9,978
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,233
+246 bearers (+8.2%)
Per 100,000 1.10
Rank movement Down 11 places
2020
#10,292
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,977
-256 bearers (-7.9%)
Per 100,000 1.00
Rank movement Down 314 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,967 | 2,987 | 1.11 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,978 | 3,233 | 1.10 | +246 bearers (+8.2%) | Down 11 places |
| 2020 | #10,292 | 2,977 | 1.00 | -256 bearers (-7.9%) | Down 314 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 Million 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 | #9,978 | #10,292 | -3.1% |
| Count | 3,233 | 2,977 | -7.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.10 | 1.00 | -9.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Million bearers went from 3,233 to 2,977 (-7.9% change). The surname moved down 314 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,978 to #10,292.
FAQ
Million surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Million?
Name Census estimates that about 3,414 living Americans carry the surname Million. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 100,397 residents.
How common is Million?
Million ranks #10,292 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.00 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 2,977 people with the surname Million. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,414), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.00 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 Million.
Has Million become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Million went from 3,233 recorded bearers to 2,977. That is a decrease of 256 (-7.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,978 to #10,292.
What does the Census say about the background of Million?
Among Census respondents with the surname Million, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.1%. The next largest groups are Black (11.2%) and Two or More Races (5.4%). 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 Million in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.1% (2,326 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Million appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (78.1%), Black (11.2%), Two or More Races (5.4%). 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 Million (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 Million mean?
A surname referring to a person considered to be wealthy or someone who collected taxes or tolls. 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 Million (1.00 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 Americans have the surname Million?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.