2000
#5,293
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,055
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.24
Rare Last name
Milne
A Scottish toponymic surname derived from the Gaelic "maol an eidh," meaning "bald hill" or "bare hillock."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,059 Americans carry the last name Milne. That puts it at #5,462 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 48,556 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Milne 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 Milne with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
7.1K
1 in 48,556
Census rank
#5,462
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,156 bearers of the surname Milne in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5462nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Milne, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (4.3%) and Hispanic (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Milne
Among Census respondents with the surname Milne, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (4.3%) and Hispanic (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Milne 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 Milne surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.2% · 5,307
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.3% · 266
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 260
- Two or more races3.2% · 195
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.1% · 68
- Black or African American1.0% · 60
Timeline
Historical Census data for Milne
Milne 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
#5,555
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,258
+203 bearers (+3.4%)
Per 100,000 2.12
Rank movement Down 262 places
2020
#5,462
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,156
-102 bearers (-1.6%)
Per 100,000 2.06
Rank movement Up 93 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,293 | 6,055 | 2.24 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,555 | 6,258 | 2.12 | +203 bearers (+3.4%) | Down 262 places |
| 2020 | #5,462 | 6,156 | 2.06 | -102 bearers (-1.6%) | Up 93 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 Milne 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 | #5,555 | #5,462 | 1.7% |
| Count | 6,258 | 6,156 | -1.6% |
| Per 100K | 2.12 | 2.06 | -2.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Milne bearers went from 6,258 to 6,156 (-1.6% change). The surname moved up 93 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,555 to #5,462.
FAQ
Milne surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Milne?
Name Census estimates that about 7,059 living Americans carry the surname Milne. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 48,556 residents.
How common is Milne?
Milne ranks #5,462 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.06 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,156 people with the surname Milne. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,059), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.06 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Milne.
Has Milne become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Milne went from 6,258 recorded bearers to 6,156. That is a decrease of 102 (-1.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #5,555 to #5,462.
What does the Census say about the background of Milne?
Among Census respondents with the surname Milne, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (4.3%) and Hispanic (4.2%). 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 Milne in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.2% (5,307 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Milne appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (4.3%), Hispanic (4.2%). 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 Milne (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 Milne mean?
A Scottish toponymic surname derived from the Gaelic "maol an eidh," meaning "bald hill" or "bare hillock." 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 Milne (2.06 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 Milne?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Milne, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.