Origins of the Mills surname

What does the name Mills mean?

The origin of the Mills surname is thought to be English and Scottish and has been found in records from as early as the 1200s. Mills is believed to mostly be a geographic name, referring to those who lived at or near a mill. Less often, Mills can arise as a patronymic surname, given to those who are the son or descendant of someone called 'Miles'.

Alternative variations of the name Mills

Mills, Mylls, Miles, Myles, Mylles

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Delve deeper into the Mills family's history

OrkneyShetlandHighlandsWestern IslesGrampianTaysideCentralStrathclydeFifeLothianBordersDumfriesNorth East 1083North West 934Isle of Man 48Yorkshire 2589East Midlands 1196West Midlands 2259East 1966London 7805South East 4153South West 1708South Wales 477Mid Wales 203West Wales 146North Wales 129Republic of IrelandNorthern Ireland

In 1921, most Millses lived in london

Census records trace your ancestors through each generation, so you can follow where your relatives lived through each decade.

64,000 Mills Travel & migration records
390,000 Millses found in all Census records

Interesting facts about Mills

How common is your surname?

79th most common surname in the UK

We have for the Mills surname. The oldest one dates back to 1539.

Who were Millses most likely to marry?

Our tell us which families married Millses.

What are the most common Mills first names?

John

William

Mary

Elizabeth

Our tell us the names of Mills family members
Man with milk churns and census card collage
Census records provide incredible detail on names, ages, marital statuses, occupations and more.

Common jobs for Millses

Men and women often performed different types of jobs, so these are displayed by gender to maintain their historical accuracy.

Common female occupations for Millses in 1921

Dressmaker

1,707

Laundress

1,187

Domestic Servant

944

General Servant Domestic

929

Cotton Weaver

900

Common male occupations for Millses in 1921

Agricultural Labourer

1,806

General Labourer

1,498

Coal Miner

1,380

Farm Labourer

1,050

Carpenter

961

We found over 540,000 family trees with the Mills surname

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