2000
#9,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,140
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.16
Rare Last name
Milstead
A habitational surname referring to someone from a place called Milstead, likely derived from Old English elements meaning "mill place."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,346 Americans carry the last name Milstead. That puts it at #10,494 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.98 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 102,437 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Milstead 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 Milstead with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.3K
1 in 102,437
Census rank
#10,494
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,918 bearers of the surname Milstead in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.98 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10494th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Milstead, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.6%. The next largest groups are Black (6.0%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Milstead
The surname Milstead is of English origin, and it can be traced back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated in the county of Yorkshire, where it was derived from a place name referring to a mill stream or a mill on a stream.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Milstead can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of land ownership and taxation in England compiled in 1086 by order of King William the Conqueror. This suggests that the name was already established in the region by the late 11th century.
During the Middle Ages, the name Milstead was often spelled in various ways, reflecting the lack of standardized spelling conventions at the time. Some of the early variations included Milstede, Milsteed, and Mylstede, all of which were derived from the Old English words "myln" (mill) and "stede" (place or site).
In the 13th century, a man named Robert de Milstede was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire, which were records of financial accounts kept by the English Exchequer. This provides evidence of the surname's continued presence in the area during that period.
One notable bearer of the name Milstead was John Milstead (c. 1520-1587), an English Protestant reformer and theologian who served as a minister during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. He was known for his strong opposition to Roman Catholicism and his advocacy of Puritan beliefs.
Another prominent figure with this surname was Sir William Milstead (1621-1680), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for the borough of Nottingham during the Commonwealth period under Oliver Cromwell's rule.
In the 18th century, a man named Thomas Milstead (1719-1799) was a successful merchant and landowner in the county of Kent. He was also known for his philanthropic efforts, having donated funds for the construction of a school and almshouses in the town of Sittingbourne.
During the 19th century, the Milstead surname was borne by several notable individuals, including Samuel Milstead (1800-1876), a British architect who was involved in the design of several churches and public buildings in London and other parts of England.
Another figure from this era was Elizabeth Milstead (1836-1912), a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights. She founded one of the first schools for girls in the city of Manchester and was actively involved in campaigns for women's suffrage and educational reform.
These examples illustrate the long-standing presence of the Milstead surname in various regions of England, as well as its connections to individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Milstead
Among Census respondents with the surname Milstead, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.6%. The next largest groups are Black (6.0%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Milstead 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 Milstead surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.6% · 2,497
- Black or African American6.0% · 175
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 104
- Two or more races3.3% · 97
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 27
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 18
Timeline
Historical Census data for Milstead
Milstead 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
#10,334
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,117
-23 bearers (-0.7%)
Per 100,000 1.06
Rank movement Down 839 places
2020
#10,494
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,918
-199 bearers (-6.4%)
Per 100,000 0.98
Rank movement Down 160 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,495 | 3,140 | 1.16 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,334 | 3,117 | 1.06 | -23 bearers (-0.7%) | Down 839 places |
| 2020 | #10,494 | 2,918 | 0.98 | -199 bearers (-6.4%) | Down 160 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 Milstead 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 | #10,334 | #10,494 | -1.5% |
| Count | 3,117 | 2,918 | -6.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.06 | 0.98 | -7.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Milstead bearers went from 3,117 to 2,918 (-6.4% change). The surname moved down 160 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,334 to #10,494.
FAQ
Milstead surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Milstead?
Name Census estimates that about 3,346 living Americans carry the surname Milstead. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 102,437 residents.
How common is Milstead?
Milstead ranks #10,494 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.98 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 2,918 people with the surname Milstead. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,346), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.98 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.98 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 Milstead.
Has Milstead become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Milstead went from 3,117 recorded bearers to 2,918. That is a decrease of 199 (-6.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,334 to #10,494.
What does the Census say about the background of Milstead?
Among Census respondents with the surname Milstead, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.6%. The next largest groups are Black (6.0%) and Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Milstead in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.6% (2,497 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Milstead appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.6%), Black (6.0%), Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Milstead (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 Milstead mean?
A habitational surname referring to someone from a place called Milstead, likely derived from Old English elements meaning "mill place." 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 Milstead (0.98 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 Milstead?
See how common the surname Milstead is on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.