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

Milroy, 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 Milroy surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Milroy in America

Milroy is the 24214th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Milroy surname appeared 1,037 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Milroy.

We can also compare 2010 data for Milroy 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 Milroy

The surname Milroy is of Scottish origin, with its earliest records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old French phrase "moulin le roy," meaning "the king's mill." This suggests that the name may have been given to the miller who worked at a mill owned by the king or a member of the royal family.

The name was particularly prominent in the Scottish Borders region, where many of the earliest records of the Milroy family can be found. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which lists those who swore fealty to King Edward I of England. The name appears as "Milroy de Dunfres," referring to Dumfries, a town in the Borders region.

In the 16th century, the Milroy family was well-established in the village of Carsphairn in Kirkcudbrightshire. The parish records of Carsphairn from 1691 mention a William Milroy, who was a prominent figure in the local community.

One of the most notable individuals with the surname Milroy was Sir James Milroy (1833-1904), a Scottish physician and medical author. He served as the President of the Royal College of Physicians and was knighted for his contributions to the field of medicine.

Another significant figure was Sir John Milroy (1857-1939), a Scottish engineer and shipbuilder. He was instrumental in the design and construction of several notable ships, including the Lusitania and the Mauretania.

In the literary world, the name is associated with William Milroy (1810-1888), a Scottish poet and journalist. He published several collections of poetry, including "Lays of the Heather" and "Poems and Songs."

The Milroy family also played a role in the military history of Scotland. Captain James Milroy (1792-1862) served in the British Army during the Napoleonic Wars and later became a prominent landowner in Kirkcudbrightshire.

Throughout history, variations in the spelling of the name have been observed, such as Millroy, Milray, and Mulroy. However, the Milroy spelling has remained the most prevalent form.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Milroy

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

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

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

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