Find out how popular the last name Milster is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Milster.
A German surname derived from the Middle Low German word for miller.
Milster, 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 Milster surname is from the 2010 census data.
Milster is the 147253rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The Milster surname appeared 112 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 Milster.
We can also compare 2010 data for Milster 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.
2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
---|---|---|---|
Rank | 147253 | 127186 | 14.62% |
Count | 112 | 124 | -10.17% |
Proportion per 100k | 0.04 | 0.05 | -22.22% |
The surname Milster originated in Germany during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old German word "milch," meaning milk, and the suffix "-ster," indicating a profession or occupation. This suggests that the name was initially given to people involved in the dairy industry, such as milkmaids or dairy farmers.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Milster name can be found in the town records of Augsburg, Bavaria, in the 14th century. The name was spelled "Milchster" at the time, and it referred to a family engaged in the production and distribution of milk products.
In the 15th century, the Milster name appeared in the records of the city of Cologne, where a merchant named Johann Milster was involved in the trade of dairy products from the surrounding rural areas. This indicates that the name had spread beyond its original geographical confines.
During the 16th century, the Milster surname was documented in the town of Bamberg, where a prominent family owned a successful dairy farm and cheese-making business. One member of this family, Hans Milster (1512-1589), was a respected citizen and served on the town council.
Another notable figure bearing the Milster name was Anna Milster (1620-1688), a skilled cheesemaker from the village of Rothenburg ob der Tauber. Her artisanal cheeses were highly sought after by nobility and commoners alike, and her recipes were passed down through generations of Milster cheesemakers.
In the 18th century, the Milster name surfaced in the records of the city of Munich, where a family by the name of Milster owned a prosperous dairy farm and inn. The inn, known as "Zum Goldenen Milchkrug" (The Golden Milk Jug), was a popular gathering place for travelers and locals alike.
Over time, as the Milster family members migrated to other regions and countries, the name underwent various spelling changes, including Milster, Milstner, and Mülster. However, the connection to the dairy industry and the production of milk-based products remained a common thread throughout the history of this surname.
We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Milster.
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:
For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Milster was:
Race/Ethnicity | Percentage | Total Occurrences |
---|---|---|
Non-Hispanic White Only | 95.54% | 107 |
Non-Hispanic Black Only | 0.00% | 0 |
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only | 0.00% | 0 |
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native | (S)% | (S) |
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races | (S)% | (S) |
Hispanic Origin | (S)% | (S) |
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 Milster has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.
2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
---|---|---|---|
White | 95.54% | 96.77% | -1.28% |
Black | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.00% | (S)% | (S)% |
American Indian and Alaskan Native | (S)% | 0.00% | (S)% |
Two or More Races | (S)% | (S)% | (S)% |
Hispanic | (S)% | (S)% | (S)% |
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 Milster was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.
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<a href="http://namecensus.com/last-names/milster-surname-popularity/">Milster last name popularity, history, and meaning</a>
"Milster last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on August 4, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/milster-surname-popularity/.
"Milster last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/milster-surname-popularity/. Accessed 4 August, 2025
Milster last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/milster-surname-popularity/.
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