Mills Surname

1,670th
Most Common
surname in the World

Approximately 328,085 people bear this surname

Most prevalent in:
United States
Highest density in:
Saint Kitts and Nevis

Mills Surname Definition:

This surname is derived from a geographical locality. 'at the mill.' from residence thereby. There is a column of Mills in the London Directory. A large number of these are local in origin. The final 's' (probably genitive) is common to all monosyllabic local surnames; compare Brooks, Briggs, Styles, Dykes, Holmes, &c.

Read More About This Surname

Mills Surname Distribution Map

PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
United States190,4391:1,903171
England62,2531:89585
Australia26,4591:1,02095
Canada18,6071:1,980207
South Africa4,1221:13,1441,649
New Zealand3,9541:1,145104
Jamaica3,7401:767143
Scotland3,2571:1,644300
Wales3,1581:98088
Ireland1,7231:2,733504
Northern Ireland1,6861:1,094221
Pakistan9541:187,2584,680
Thailand6141:115,04616,989
Trinidad and Tobago5831:2,340397
Saint Kitts and Nevis4941:11212
Ghana4071:66,3907,796
Spain4031:116,0109,121
Bahamas3331:1,176220
France3081:215,65833,528
Germany2661:302,65230,961
Saudi Arabia2391:129,10417,726
Liberia2001:22,0432,174
Brazil1801:1,189,30241,172
Netherlands1671:101,12116,397
United States Virgin Islands1651:66984
Dominican Republic1541:67,7463,226
Chile1501:117,4434,265
Singapore1371:40,2021,485
India1291:5,946,243139,967
Bahrain1181:11,4292,102
Dominica1061:716165
Philippines981:1,033,04387,420
Switzerland951:86,4529,661
Turks and Caicos Islands951:36176
Zimbabwe951:162,50820,181
Isle of Man921:933143
Nigeria881:2,012,98670,656
British Virgin Islands841:37681
Antigua and Barbuda821:1,209212
Russia811:1,779,297115,341
Japan731:1,751,29226,150
Sweden721:136,7619,670
Norway681:75,62210,585
Malaysia641:460,84723,445
Jersey591:1,681251
Grenada551:1,973335
Panama541:72,4493,088
Bermuda531:1,232195
Denmark521:108,55210,139
Guernsey511:1,264261
Cyprus491:18,0592,050
Belgium471:244,60930,321
Costa Rica471:101,7041,717
Indonesia461:2,874,982163,265
Mexico421:2,955,38622,751
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines421:2,682458
Haiti411:260,5838,998
Venezuela411:736,68512,312
Kuwait391:97,45410,676
China381:35,982,1461,905
Argentina361:1,187,31770,591
Barbados331:8,711713
Iraq311:1,129,73113,630
Austria301:283,84832,444
Ecuador291:548,47711,265
Hong Kong291:252,9483,050
Puerto Rico291:122,4191,744
Guyana281:27,2223,043
Portugal281:372,08012,265
Finland241:229,02918,579
Malta241:17,9281,021
Italy221:2,779,84997,128
United Arab Emirates221:416,46723,075
Israel191:450,40234,739
Estonia151:88,12015,474
Aruba141:7,3911,045
Anguilla131:1,034101
Guatemala131:1,237,1285,444
Belarus121:791,75562,255
Poland111:3,455,341126,214
Saint Lucia111:16,2531,328
Taiwan111:2,131,34113,802
Gibraltar101:3,395741
South Korea101:5,124,026903
Colombia91:5,308,23018,838
Czechia91:1,181,49785,740
Egypt91:10,215,08448,153
Honduras91:979,6054,574
Qatar91:262,00030,726
Sri Lanka91:2,312,0629,186
Vanuatu91:29,253714
Guam81:20,0153,029
Bangladesh71:22,765,25317,277
Turkey71:11,117,346139,182
American Samoa61:9,2931,961
Cameroon61:3,461,511126,814
Belize51:71,0952,977
Kazakhstan51:3,536,499118,599
Vietnam51:18,529,2113,282
Bulgaria41:1,744,72646,837
Fiji41:223,5982,635
Iceland41:95,0224,787
Namibia41:602,35012,421
Papua New Guinea41:2,038,429140,827
Slovakia41:1,334,11294,300
Sudan41:9,377,5498,207
Swaziland41:324,550996
Uganda41:9,759,820144,676
Uruguay41:857,94031,713
Afghanistan31:10,717,72835,605
Cayman Islands31:21,2981,488
Tanzania31:17,647,204107,932
Yemen31:8,808,43135,773
Azerbaijan21:4,824,56142,415
Cuba21:5,761,35813,825
Georgia21:1,872,77235,618
Hungary21:4,908,13864,617
Kenya21:23,089,95083,168
Laos21:3,294,1621,900
Latvia21:1,025,02341,546
Mongolia21:1,412,64416,950
Mozambique21:13,630,7847,358
Oman21:1,843,9869,590
Peru21:15,892,06251,966
Senegal21:7,289,6718,117
Syria21:9,650,51117,817
Zambia21:7,924,96145,994
Albania11:2,914,05529,474
Andorra11:83,8382,381
Armenia11:2,930,18022,770
Botswana11:2,186,92930,250
Brunei11:418,7313,893
Burkina Faso11:18,352,10030,051
Cambodia11:15,487,14614,824
Chad11:13,592,19913,092
Cook Islands11:18,1791,485
Curaçao11:157,2471,313
DR Congo11:73,879,570260,543
East Timor11:1,215,928507
Ethiopia11:97,546,26229,669
Gambia11:1,923,4511,043
Greece11:11,079,790145,225
Ivory Coast11:23,071,23276,679
Kyrgyzstan11:5,972,65499,197
Lebanon11:5,637,08332,436
Libya11:6,243,9746,186
Lithuania11:3,034,58847,401
Luxembourg11:580,54215,155
Macau11:601,6301,582
Malawi11:17,119,10934,144
Mali11:16,969,0354,067
Mauritius11:1,293,41716,552
Moldova11:3,561,36878,271
Monaco11:37,0664,748
Morocco11:34,476,099111,471
Nicaragua11:6,021,0908,768
Norfolk Island11:2,295315
Romania11:20,077,87089,414
Rwanda11:11,364,9785,947
Saint Martin11:35,156229
Serbia11:7,144,94838,459
Seychelles11:92,3931,532
Sierra Leone11:7,089,6311,533
Slovenia11:2,487,67531,128
Solomon Islands11:580,02922,243
Togo11:7,247,76812,049
Tunisia11:610,62630,336
Ukraine11:45,522,696503,646
PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
Ireland2,4201:1,831351
PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
England35,9381:67867
Scotland1,7041:2,197396
Wales1,2341:1,27186
Guernsey231:1,420241
Isle of Man181:3,015339
Jersey131:3,991684
PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
United States36,5781:1,373138

Mills (2,915) may also be a first name.

Mills Surname Meaning

From Where Does The Surname Originate? meaning and history

This surname is derived from a geographical locality. 'at the mill.' from residence thereby. There is a column of Mills in the London Directory. A large number of these are local in origin. The final 's' (probably genitive) is common to all monosyllabic local surnames; compare Brooks, Briggs, Styles, Dykes, Holmes, &c. For instances, v. Mill and Miln.

(2) Bapt. 'the son of Miles.' a once popular font-name, or 'the son of Millicent,' from the nick. Mille, or Milly; v. Milson.

Margery Mylys, Cambridgeshire, 1273. Hundred Rolls.

1645. Baptised — Ann, d. Anthony Mills: St. James, Clerkenwell.

The name is so universal that modern instances are needless.

A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames (1896) by Charles Wareing Endell Bardsley

(English) 1 One living at or by Corn- Mills.

2 Mill’s (Son): v. Mill.

Surnames of the United Kingdom (1912) by Henry Harrison

This English name may also be an Mhuilinn, i.e.

of the Mill. IF 19*

A Guide to Irish Names (1964) by Edward MacLysaght

(English) Dweller at, or near, a mill.

Dictionary of American Family Names (1956) by Elsdon Coles Smith

Perhaps from residence near mills, in some instances. I am rather disposed, however, to consider it the genitive of an abbreviated form of Michael (see Miles), and the occurrence of Millson seems to favour this derivation. But see Milson, which is 'local.'

Patronymica Britannica (1860) by Mark Antony Lower

Local. Living near a mill. Gaelic, Milidh, a soldier, the d being silent.

An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names (1857) by William Arthur

1. from Miles, 2. for De Molis. Oger, Ralph, Richard de Molis, Normandy 1198 (Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae); Hugh, Roger de Moles, Engl. c. 1272 (Rotuli Hundredorum). 3. from an English locality, Norfolk.

The Norman People (1874)

From the Dutch, Mills; from the Flemish, Miles, Millis; from the German, Milisch; in the Domesday Book, Milo, Miles; a personal name.

British Family Names: Their Origin and Meaning (1903) by Henry Barber

Mills. —This name is mostly confined to the southern half of England. Its chief homes are in Essex, Kent, Sussex, Hants, and Warwickshire. It is rare or infrequent in the south - west of England, where, in Cornwall and Devon, its place is to some extent supplied by Mill.

Homes of Family Names in Great Britain (1890) by Henry Brougham Guppy

Mills Last Name Facts

Where Does The Last Name Mills Come From? nationality or country of origin

The last name Mills (Arabic: ميللز, Russian: Миллс) is carried by more people in The United States than any other country or territory. It can also occur as:. Click here for further potential spellings of this surname.

How Common Is The Last Name Mills? popularity and diffusion

The surname is the 1,670th most widespread family name throughout the world It is held by approximately 1 in 22,212 people. It is mostly found in The Americas, where 64 percent of Mills are found; 62 percent are found in North America and 62 percent are found in Anglo-North America. It is also the 134,501st most frequently occurring given name at a global level, held by 2,915 people.

The last name Mills is most widespread in The United States, where it is carried by 190,439 people, or 1 in 1,903. In The United States Mills is mostly concentrated in: Texas, where 8 percent reside, California, where 8 percent reside and Florida, where 6 percent reside. Besides The United States Mills occurs in 167 countries. It is also found in England, where 19 percent reside and Australia, where 8 percent reside.

Mills Family Population Trend historical fluctuation

The prevalency of Mills has changed through the years. In The United States the number of people bearing the Mills last name grew 521 percent between 1880 and 2014; in England it grew 173 percent between 1881 and 2014; in Scotland it grew 191 percent between 1881 and 2014; in Wales it grew 256 percent between 1881 and 2014 and in Ireland it decreased 29 percent between 1901 and 2014.

Mills Last Name Statistics demography

The religious adherence of those carrying the last name is chiefly Anglican (41%) in Ireland and Orthodox (100%) in Russia.

In The United States those holding the Mills last name are 15.2% more likely to be registered Republicans than the national average, with 61.97% registered to vote for the party.

The amount Mills earn in different countries varies greatly. In Norway they earn 10.56% more than the national average, earning 382,643 kr per year; in Peru they earn 79.68% more than the national average, earning S/. 34,830 per year; in South Africa they earn 57% more than the national average, earning R 373,080 per year; in United States they earn 3.3% less than the national average, earning $41,724 USD per year and in Canada they earn 2.4% more than the national average, earning $50,876 CAD per year.

Phonetically Similar Names

SurnameSimilarityWorldwide IncidencePrevalency
Milles913,502/
Miells917/
Millås915/
Millss914/
Millls913/
Millsh911/
Mmills911/
Millst911/
Millse911/
Mill's911/
Mils89309/
Mlls8911/
Milless83187/
Millest83133/
Mielles832/
Millese832/
Muilles831/
Mells80729/
Millz80593/
Miels80361/
Milse80167/
Mölls80106/
Mylls8020/
Milsø8012/
Muils807/
Milss804/
Milst803/
Mlles803/
Mllls802/
Miols801/
Millx801/
Milsh801/
Mihls801/
Milhs801/
Millesse7776/
Millsová773/
Millestt771/
Mls75104/
Melles734,174/
Miglis73189/
Milsch73177/
Miehls73168/
Mylles7372/
Millez7334/
Mellse739/
Möllås739/
Maells735/
Melløs734/
Mellås732/
Muells731/
Mell's731/
Milsse731/
Mülles731/
Milz674,785/
Mellese673,407/
Mels671,954/
Mielsch67375/
Möls6787/
Melless6745/
Mles6714/
Myls676/
Mlse673/
Møllsøe672/
D'Mells671/
Melllsh671/
Meelles671/
Hmls671/
Mlsz671/
Milsche670/
Millece670/
Mellest670/

Mills Name Transliterations

TransliterationICU LatinPercentage of Incidence
Mills in the Russian language
Миллсmills-
Mills in the Arabic language
ميللزmyllz-
ميلسmyls-

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Mills Reference & Research

Mills FamilyTree DNA Group - A group collating DNA test results for those who bear the surname, includes results of DNA tests and discussions.

Mills FamilyTree DNA Project - A description of a group researching the paternal lines of men who bear the surname with the help of DNA analysis.

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Footnotes

  • Surnames are taken as the first part of an person's inherited family name, caste, clan name or in some cases patronymic
  • Descriptions may contain details on the name's etymology, origin, ethnicity and history. They are largely reproduced from 3rd party sources; diligence is advised on accepting their validity - more information
  • Name distribution statistics are generated from a global database of over 4 billion people - more information
  • Heatmap: Dark red means there is a higher occurrence of the name, transitioning to light yellow signifies a progressively lower occurrence. Clicking on selected countries will show mapping at a regional level
  • Rank: Name are ranked by incidence using the ordinal ranking method; the name that occurs the most is assigned a rank of 1; name that occur less frequently receive an incremented rank; if two or more name occur the same number of times they are assigned the same rank and successive rank is incremented by the total preceeding names
  • Ethnic group cannot necessarily be determined by geographic occurrence
  • Similar: Names listed in the "Similar" section are phonetically similar and may not have any relation to Mills
  • To find out more about this surname's family history, lookup records on Family​Search, My​Heritage, FindMyPast and Ancestry. Further information may be obtained by DNA analysis