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

Millwood, 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 Millwood surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Millwood in America

Millwood is the 12444th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Millwood surname appeared 2,496 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 Millwood.

We can also compare 2010 data for Millwood 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 Millwood

The surname MILLWOOD is of English origin, first appearing in the medieval period. It is a locational surname, deriving from the various places named Millwood in England, such as those found in Buckinghamshire, Derbyshire, and Staffordshire. The name is composed of the Old English elements "myllen" meaning mill and "wudu" meaning wood, indicating that the original bearers of the name resided near a mill in a wooded area.

Records indicate that the earliest known spelling of the surname was "de Millenwude," found in the Pipe Rolls of Sussex in 1230. This early form highlights the locational origin of the name, with the prefix "de" signifying "from" or "of." As people began to adopt hereditary surnames, those residing near a mill in a wooded region would have taken on the name MILLWOOD or variations like MILWOOD or MILLEWODE.

The MILLWOOD name appeared in various historical documents, including the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, where a William de Milnewode was listed in Oxfordshire. Additionally, a John Milwood was recorded in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1381, further establishing the presence of the surname in different parts of England.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname was Richard Millwood, born in 1564 in Staffordshire, England. He was a prominent landowner and local official in his community. Another notable bearer of the name was Thomas Millwood (1607-1668), a clergyman who served as the Rector of Penshurst in Kent.

In the 17th century, John Millwood (1623-1701) was a respected merchant and alderman in the City of London, while William Millwood (1640-1712) was a renowned botanist and author of "The Gardener's Dictionary," a landmark work on horticulture.

In the realm of literature, the name gained recognition through the works of Samuel Millwood (1725-1799), an English playwright and poet. His most famous work, "The Deserted Village," was a widely acclaimed and influential poem.

Throughout history, the MILLWOOD surname has been associated with various occupations and achievements, from landowners and clergymen to merchants and writers, further enriching its legacy and highlighting its enduring presence in English society.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Millwood

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

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

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

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