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

Milne, 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 Milne surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Milne in America

Milne is the 5555th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Milne surname appeared 6,258 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Milne.

We can also compare 2010 data for Milne 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 Milne

The surname Milne originated in Scotland during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Scottish Gaelic word 'muileann', meaning mill or mill-town. The name likely referred to someone who lived near or worked at a mill.

The earliest recorded instances of the Milne surname date back to the 13th century in Scotland. In 1296, the name appeared in the Ragman Rolls, a collection of homage rolls recording those who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. Entries included John de Molen and William de Molendino.

By the 14th century, the name had evolved to its modern spelling of Milne. One early record is from 1376 in Aberdeenshire, where Alexander Mylne was a burgess of Aberdeen. In 1466, John Milne was listed as a landowner in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland.

Several notable figures throughout history have borne the Milne surname. One of the most famous was John Milne (1626-1707), a Scottish mathematician and writer known for his work on logarithms and navigation. Another was Alexander Milne (1806-1896), a Scottish admiral in the Royal Navy.

In the literary world, Alan Alexander Milne (1882-1956) was a renowned English author best known for creating the beloved characters Winnie-the-Pooh and Christopher Robin. His son, Christopher Robin Milne (1920-1996), was the inspiration for the character Christopher Robin.

Other notable Milnes include David Milne (1882-1953), a Canadian painter and printmaker, and James Milne (1835-1923), a Scottish-born Australian politician and Premier of Victoria from 1889 to 1890.

The Milne name has also been associated with various place names in Scotland, such as Milnathort, Milnefield, and Milngavie, further reflecting its mill-related origins.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Milne

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

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

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

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